


Raison D'être

by Blessism



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Councillor - Freeform, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Lovers, Erza and Jellal are 16 at the start, F/M, Jellal is manipulative, Rakuen no Tou | Tower of Heaven Arc, Thought Projection, Timeskip from chapter 1 to 2 is a year, Wizard Saint, jerza - Freeform, siegrain - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blessism/pseuds/Blessism
Summary: Everyone has a reason for existing. For Jellal, he thought it was to build the R-System in order to revive Zeref. But after a series of meeting old and new acquaintances, he came to realize that she was his purpose of life. Pre-Tower of Heaven arc.CW: manipulation, emotional abuse
Relationships: Erza Scarlet & Mirajane Strauss, Jellal Fernandes & Juvia Lockser, Jellal Fernandes & Ultear Milkovich, Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Juvia Lockser & Erza Scarlet
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15





	1. Adopting a Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to a graduation ceremony puts Jellal in an awkward situation with Juvia until he realizes she has the potential to be a pawn for his schemes.

_Year x781_

Her elementary years went by quietly, without friends or happiness or laughter. Juvia held the bouquet of roses as she stood on the stage where hundreds of parents came to congratulate their children for passing school. Nobody came for her, nobody. Even though she graduated as one of the top students, it's not like anybody cared. She looked so dreadful in her graduation cap and gown. Everything was black and white, just like her memories.

Everyone started complaining about how the inclement weather ruined the scenery outside. Typical self-absorbed parents, concerned about the weather only because they wanted to take photos outside. Then they'd brag about how their child became a mage, even if they could barely use magic. She could get rid of their misery, simply by leaving the place. It was better than hearing everyone whine about rain. One. Two. Three. Her heels clicked the floor gracefully as she made her way towards the exit.

Her teacher stopped her, "Juvia, where do you think you're going? You still haven't gotten your certificate."

She plastered a smile on her face, "Juvia doesn't feel so well. Juvia thinks she should head home."

"Do you need help? I can always arrange a ride home."

Nothing like, _please stay,_ or _I can assist you while you stay here_. She wanted Juvia gone, only to see the smiling faces of the parents who came out for their precious children. She envied every single one of them. What crime had she committed that she lost her parents as such a young age?

"No, Juvia will be fine." She locked eyes with her teacher and took a step away from her until she bumped into something—or rather— _someone_. If the man didn't have an iron grip on the documents he was carrying, they would've fluttered all across the hall.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, like any civilized man.

Juvia held her hands out in front of her, "No, it was Juvia's fault! She didn't watch where she was going."

"Were you heading out?"

"Yes," she answered quietly, memorised by his hazel eyes and the tattoo around his right eye. He didn't look that much older than her, and he was very beautiful, as she put it.

"But aren't you a graduate here? Judging by your appearance, I don't think you should be leaving so soon."

The conversation was interrupted by Juvia's teacher, who approached him with a newfound happiness. "Oh, Councilman Siegrain, how good to see you here."

His lips curved into something polite to hide his irritation. Nobody noticed the malice in his intentions. Not in the least. "The pleasure is mine. Might I ask who this young lady is? She hasn't been recognized as a mage and she's already leaving."

"Yes, you see, she wasn't feeling so well. The poor girl bumped into you accidentally. I was arranging for a ride home." Explained the teacher with embarrassment. Jellal raised an eyebrow.

"And you're just going to let her leave? You should've sought medical attention as soon as you heard about her condition." The older woman was taken aback by Jellal's criticism. He had a very nice way of saying things without beating around the bush.

The little girl laughed, "Juvia is fine. She assures you it's nothing serious."

"If you insist," he eyed Juvia, noticing that she wanted to leave the place. For a fourteen year old, she was very reserved unlike the rowdy children. He turned to the teacher, "Here are the documents approved by the Magic Council. Make sure each student has two sheets of certificates. If they lose it, the Magic Council requires a letter to be submitted about the loss and we will replace it as soon as possible."

She took the files from his hands, and bowed down. "Thank you for coming all this way to give them."

"Of course, glad to be of assistance." He headed out to the front door before Juvia caught his hand.

"Wait!"

He craned his head to Juvia, remaining passive. Typical, he fit in so well with the Magic Council. She asked her teacher, "May Juvia please get her certificates and leave? She have some urgent matters to take care of."

"Sure," she said without hesitation. It didn't take long to find Juvia's name, since Jellal had the decency to sort out the files by last name. "It's been a pleasure teaching you, Juvia."

"Same here," she waved at her teacher, giving yet another fake smile before following Jellal outside. She held out her umbrella as they stepped outside

"Well, what's this matter of urgency? I'm sure you didn't enjoy it in there. Was it because of the parents?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. He could read her so easily, like nobody else had. "How did you...know?"

"Juvia Lockser, you're a Water Mage who's been attending this academy in order to control your magic." He looked up at the sky, and held his hand out of the navy blue umbrella he held over his head. "I believe you're the cause of this rain?"

She bitterly chuckled, "Yes, Juvia bets you must despise her for it. Like all the others."

"Contrary to what you think, I love the rain."

This man took Juvia by surprise. She felt so relieved to hear someone say something good about the weather around her. "You're...serious?"

He nodded, continuing to stare at the clouds. "It's a beautiful part of nature. The rain is necessary to allow everything to bloom. Everyone overlooks it, when really, it plays the most important role in sustaining our world."

"Nobody's ever accepted the rain, Juvia has always been a burden everywhere she went because she carries this gloom." She dropped her umbrella and silently wept. "Yes, she is the Rain Woman. Drip drip drop. But you, you like the rain."

He smiled, before pointing out, "Look, the sun's come out."

She surveyed the area in awe. Everything was so beautiful, the leaves and petals were sprinkled with little droplets of water as the sun gave off radiant energy. "This is the first time Juvia's ever swwn the sun. And that's—is that a rainbow?"

"Yes. Do you like the weather?"

"It's beautiful and warm. It truly is a sight to behold. Thank you," more tears stained her face, tears of happiness. She never knew of acceptance, and this one man made her feel like she was on top of the world.

Despite being a mastermind criminal, Jellal couldn't help but smile at her newfound happiness. Aside from trying to resurrect a forbidden mage, he was a morally good man. "You should smile more often, it suits you." He looked his wrist and into the small lacrima which served as a watch on his hand. "Now that I'm done for the day, I guess I'll be heading home."

"Siegrain!"

"Hm?"

"This won't be the last time we meet, right? You're like family to Juvia, like- like an older brother."

"If you think of me as your older brother, I have no problem with that. Come visit the Magic Council whenever you like."

"Juvia will, thank you!" she cried out in joy. She twirled around, feeling like the luckiest girl alive. She had barely met this man, but she felt like she had a family.

Jellal smirked after recalling the small interaction with Juvia today. "Family, huh? Sounds like I have another pawn for the Tower of Heaven."

* * *

He couldn't call her a pawn, not after how sweetly she smiled at him when he strolled across the lavish halls of Era. It'd only been a day since they last met, and she visited him with overwhelming ecstasy.

"Siegrain!" she waved at him, running towards him at a fast pace.

Jellal didn't expect to see her all the way in Era at such a short notice. "Juvia, what a surprise."

"Of course, silly. Having an older brother means the entire world to Juvia."

Normally any mastermind criminal would laugh it off and call the girl crazy. And Jellal would agree with that, Juvia was insane to think Jellal could ever play the role of an older brother. But he was a proficient actor. After all, he'd been acting like a good person ever since he wormed his way into the Magic Council. "I see, it must be lonely, not having any of your relatives around."

As if he was one to talk, he never knew the faces of his parents to begin with. Juvia gave a sad smile as he brought up a sensitive subject. "Do you have any family, Siegrain?"

"No, so I guess the idea of having a younger sister seems tempting." Misery indeed loved company. He thought that his reputation as a villain hit an all-time low because he was playing house. He convinced himself she was going to get him closer to his ultimate goal, but he knew he was lying to himself. What more did he need than a subordinate and his intellect? Perhaps this was a form of entertainment, a distraction from his council work.

A distraction from the Tower of Heaven.

However, he'd rather be in Juvia's company than Ultear's. The older woman proved to be a handful, but at least she followed his orders without question. Then again, this was Ultear he was talking about, she was called a witch for a reason.

"Does that mean Juvia and Siegrain can help each other?"

He deadpanned, even strangers helped each other. So he wanted to ask, _what kind of question is that?_

"Of course. I'm able to offer assistance anytime." Easier said than done. Jellal didn't think it was even possible to involve her in his sketchy schemes. She didn't possess as much knowledge as he did, so his plan could backfire. And Juvia was so young and innocent, he didn't want her knowing he was in the midst of building a tower meant to revive people from the dead.

"Juvia could use your help. She's trying to join a guild, but has no idea which one she should join. Any ideas?"

He gave it a thought before an idea popped up in his brilliant head. Jellal found a way to use her in his plan, and it seemed like the most effective way to incorporate her in order to get closer to his sacrifice. Yes, if she joined Fairy Tail, he could keep tabs on Erza without being suspicious. Even though he used a Thought Projection, he didn't really know how Erza was. He still hadn't met her in person, albeit he heard about her on Sorcerer Weekly, known as Titania.

"I have a great recommendation. Why don't you join Fairy Tail?"

Her mouth gaped open, "Please don't take this offensively, but Juvia isn't sure if Fairy Tail would be a good choice. From what Juvia hears, they don't have a good reputation with the Magic Council."

"But who better to suggest a guild than a councillor himself? I hear many good things about them," _from myself_.

She looked at him cheerfully, "Juvia thinks Siegrain is funny. How old are you?"

It was a very random question, but he got asked a lot. Many people thought he wasn't qualified for the job, because he was so young. They were all jealous mages who never got the opportunity to fill a vacant position on the council. "Sixteen," he casually replied, as if he didn't get a seat on the Magic Council as a teenager.

"S-sixteen? Juvia thinks you're amazing for getting a position at such a young age. She's so proud to have an older brother like you!"

He looked at her amusingly. "Really? You give me far too much credit. It's possible to do anything as long as you put your mind to it." He trailed off, remembering his ultimate goal. Jellal didn't bask in his glorious titles like the other people. He only got those titles to proceed further with his plan. Only then, would he show the world the power he had.

No, he wanted to show it to _Erza_ , lest she ever forgot about his existence.

"So, will you consider joining Fairy Tail?"

"If Siegrain thinks it's a good idea, then Juvia will join Fairy Tail. She has no worries now that the rain doesn't follow her."

"I think they would've accepted you regardless. That guild is very unique."

"Then Juvia trusts Siegrain's decision." Speaking of trust, Juvia had an idea in mind. "Now that we're siblings, Juvia was thinking that we should trust each other with our stuff."

What she called ingenius, Jellal thought was ludicrous. Nevermind visiting each other often, Jellal thought she was insane. She wanted to entrust her things to a man she literally met yesterday. Although, he couldn't blame her for the rather bold move. The first rule to establishing a partnership with someone was to trust them. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"Sharing a house?"

Jellal blinked, then blinked again. Did she just suggest sharing a house with _him_? Sure, that's what siblings did, but it's not like they were biologically related. Telling the entire continent that he adopted a sister would be nothing short of scandalous. And he could not let her see the blueprints for the Tower of Heaven. Juvia would probably rage at the idea of resurrecting Zeref. Erza would at least half-expect that, considering her longing hatred for him.

"Juvia, that's jumping the gun, don't you think?"

She placed her hands on her lap, taking a seat on the ledges without windows to separate the interior structure of the Magic Council from the vast garden. It was a breathtaking sight. "You're right, Juvia apologizes for her audacity."

Jellal thought it was pathetic that he held a soft spot for Juvia. Of all people. not even Erza could make him feel this guilty. To be fair, he considered her to be a deserter to his cause, unlike his other former friends who stayed back to help construct the tower. "What about getting a spare key for each other, if that makes you feel better?"

Her eyes instantly lit up, "Yes, Juvia thinks that's a better idea! Juvia has always wanted to see where Siegrain lives."

"I do have a condition for that. You should always tell me beforehand before inviting yourself into my place." He didn't want her lounging around in his study, where the mastermind was doing his job as a villain to interpret his enemy's weaknesses. He was currently setting more plans into notion, many which were potential experiments with Fairy Tail.

He feared she would grow accustomed to the typical Fairy Tail way, coming inside uninvited like the infamous Natsu Dragneel, who had sneaked into people's homes more than a few times.

"Of course, that goes without saying. Juvia would hate it if she barged in on you showering." She exclaimed jokingly.

Even if it was a joke, awkward silence hung the air for a minute before the Wizard Saint cleared his throat. Now he was _very_ reluctant on giving her the key.

Nonetheless, he paid it no mind. "Alright then, that about settles everything. I have important matters to attend to, so I should get going."

"Juvia will come by tomorrow and give you her key as well. It was nice meeting you, Brother."

He waved at her, before silently cursing himself. Why did he decide to have a little sister again? Oh, the extremes he went to just to see Erza's face again. Jellal Fernandes—the most evil villain—was this desperate to see one person. He wanted to laugh.

He barged into Ultear's office unexpectedly like a little kid. She thought he was adorable, but the feelings weren't mutual. If she hadn't proved to be of help, he would've killed her by now. Her remarks crossed this very thick line Jellal made to separate him and Ultear. She always called him names, and openly admitted that he was handsome, which he had no comment for. He wondered if Erza would think he was attractive, because really, that's the only person he was concerned about.

This time, she was productively doing her paperwork, which had piled up over a span of a few weeks. The Magic Council was growing wary of her, because she was irresponsible, unlike himself. In fact, the geezers were more than delighted to have a resourceful person such as himself. "What is it, Jellal?"

He crossed his arms, taking a deep breath. "What would you say if I told you I adopted a sister?"

She cocked an eyebrow and stared at him in disbelief. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were wide, before bursting into hysterical laughter. "A brother, _you_? Jellal, are you out of your mind? First you create an alias named Siegrain, and now you're going around adopting people? Are you trying to have a family? Next thing you know, you're bringing a spouse home."

Ultear read his mind easily when he stiffened, before he irritatingly glared at her. "If I had a jewel for every time you made fun of me."

"I'm not one to judge. Anyways, who is it? It'd better be someone who looks like you."

He was confident she wouldn't be disappointed. Truth be told, Jellal couldn't let anyone down. All he did was impress and impress, so people kept demanding more from him. "She has blue hair, if that satisfies your description."

She studied him with mild interest, noticing his carefully chosen words. Despite being by his side, Jellal didn't trust her fully. "That's fair. And, is she supposed to help us in any sort of way?"

"Ultear, you do realize this is _my_ plan? I'm the genius who came up with this well thought out scheme. There is no _us_ in this, it's only me. You're the sidekick who does the dirty work."

"Sidekick doesn't do my role justice," she commented.

"Right, what's the term again? _Servant_."

She simply sighed, continuing with her penmanship which was much messier compared to Jellal's. Nobody could even call his writing messy, it was immaculate, just like his entire being. "Don't get over your head, Wizard Saint. I'm still older than you."

"Which clearly says nothing about the mastermind of this plan."

"Okay okay!" she snapped. "Back to my original question, how is she of any use to _your_ idea?"

Jellal wasn't smug about his achievements, but he did show a hint of pride when Ultear acknowledged the plan to be his. And she was right, no words could describe the pinnacle of his accomplishments.

"She's going to join Fairy Tail."

The raven haired mage chuckled momentarily, before an evil glint shone in her eyes. "Is this your way of getting closer to Erza before sacrificing her? This is perfect, your sister will set you both up, and then you two will fall in love. Then, you'll have to give up the girl you love so dearly. How pitiful." She wiped away an imaginary tear.

Jellal showed no sign of denying it. "You could say I'll be _pretending_ to fall in love with her."

"Mhm, just like you always said. Don't give me that talk, I know you like her. Poor Jellal, he has an obsession with his childhood friend."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I do _not_."

She ignored his false statement and looked more serious than ever before. Just because she was evil, it didn't mean she couldn't give good precautions. "Take my advice and don't go near Fairy Tail. If you develop an emotional bond with Erza, it'll be much harder to sacrifice her."

Jellal took that into consideration, but if he stayed away, the remaining years would be uninteresting before getting to Heaven. Maybe he could drop hints to Erza, or watch her grow as a person more closely. It was shocking to see the changed person she had become, as if she forgot the memories she made with her childhood friends. "I know where my priorities lie, Ultear. I won't let her come between my plan to resurrect Zeref. I'm so close, only a few years."

She said lowly, "Yes, I'm impressed you've managed to get this far in such a small amount of time."

_Master Hades would've loved to have someone like you in our guild. But unfortunately, you're just a diversion. A distraction meant to buy my people some more time._


	2. The Fateful Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jellal and Erza unexpectedly reunite. The circumstances they meet each other in put them in a compromising situation when the S-Class wizard is introduced to him as Juvia's brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize about errors in advance.

"Erzaaaaa," called out a fifteen-year-old Levy. She knocked on the scarlet beauty's door for what seemed like an eternity. After getting out of the shower, Erza turned the doorknob to reveal the excited girl.

Her excitement turned into shock, noticing Erza's less than decent attire—clad in a towel with nothing underneath. Levy's mouth turned into an 'o' shape before Erza requipped into her Heart Kreuz armour.

"Good morning, Levy," greeted the requip mage.

Levy shook her head, leaving her trance before smiling widely at her friend. "Hello Erza. I have exciting news to announce."

She raised an eyebrow, "Well, what is it?"

She held out the three latest editions of the Sorcerer Weekly magazines. "Congratulations Erza Scarlet! Your room has been delegated for the upcoming monthly Fairy Girls Sleepover, _again_! Tenth time in a row. Your room is popular these days, am I right?" she added with a wink, nudge, and another wink.

Erza couldn't help but look amused, before crossing her arms over her breastplate. "Levy, we've been over this a dozen times. If you want to use my room, you'll have to give me a two weeks' notice. And the sleepover is..."

"Tomorrow night." Levy finished unenthusiastically.

"Exactly, these things need time to set up. Besides, I'm going on a job tomorrow before the sleepover. I can't magically whip up some snacks and games. Besides, my rent money is due. If I don't pay my bills, there will be _no_ room qualified for the next sleepovers."

"What if I complete that job request?" she pouted.

"It's an S-Class quest," the seventeen-year-old clarified.

"I could make it up to you by gathering the amount due for your rent."

She prodded the younger girl's nose teasingly. "Five hundred thousand jewel? I don't think so."

Levy gasped. "No way, you pay that much for your apartment?"

"Well, I own the equivalency of five separate dorms, it only makes sense."

The younger girl wailed, tugging at her friend's arm. "There's no way I can give you all that money!"

Erza laughed, "I'm not asking you to pay that amount. That being said, I can't be the one hosting this month's sleepover."

Levy clasped her hands together and sighed. " _Pleaseeeeee_? Erza, your room is the only place where we can fit all the girls. Besides, you always order such delicious snacks, we love the parties you host!"

This was her way of bribing Erza into doing their bidding. The older mage held a soft spot for the younger girls in Fairy Tail. "Alright, I'll host it this month. As long as you promise to-"

"I promise I'll give you a two weeks notice!" exclaimed Levy. "Yay! I'll go tell the other girls. Thank you so much!"

She wrapped her petite arms around Erza's waist, embracing her quickly before running off energetically.

"I guess I'll have to complete the mission today," sighed Erza to herself. She left the dorms and noticed how all the girls in Fairy Hills were aware of the sleepover, parading with Levy as they all raced to the guildhall. It was one of those days where they would brag about it to the guys until they were peeking through Erza's windows. The night was very…eventful, as Levy would describe it.

Juvia rushes up to her friend, excited. "Juvia is so happy Erza is hosting this month's sleepover. You're the best!"

Erza ruffled her hair and smiled. "Of course, you're always welcome in my dorm."

It had been a year since Juvia joined Fairy Tail, and she was loving everything about it, especially Erza Scarlet; role model and protector. She had told Jellal everything she practically knew about her. It started with her smile, then went to describing all the traits about Titania, notably including her adversaries.

And that's exactly what she did when she visited her brother that evening. She restlessly lounged in his luxurious flat, talking about her day and Fairy Tail's antics.

Jellal padded towards the kitchen, pouring her hot chocolate and serving it with honey-glazed donuts. Juvia delightfully savoured the heavenly combination, feeling the donut melt into her mouth.

"Juvia," he pointed to his lips, implying that she had been drooling in the midst of her snack.

She suddenly jerked back, forgetting that she was seated on the bar stool. Juvia gave a loud yelp before falling with the stool to her demise.

But she should've suspected by now that Jellal knew her habits. He caught the stool and held it up just in time, to which she embarrassingly stepped away.

"Juvia did it again, huh?" she started. He laughed, noting her self-conscious behaviour.

"It's alright, I'm used to it by now. Besides," he stirred the whipped cream topping his hot beverage, "you spent the day with Fairy Tail mages. I imagine your day was nothing short of hectic."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Siegrain. But Juvia doesn't worry about that stuff. It's always poor Erza who deals with the boys."

He cocked an eyebrow, showing interest. "Oh?"

Jellal loved hearing stories about Erza. They described a person who hid all her flaws and kept her emotions in check. Juvia continued, "Erza's so nice, she lets us hang out in her room for the monthly sleepovers. This time, she was supposed to take on a job to pay her rent. But after Levy begged, she eventually agreed to her terms. Erza's so generous, we all love her!"

"She sounds like a wonderful person," he commented.

Juvia giggled. "You guys should meet each other. Juvia thinks she'll be charmed by your good looks and manners. She's tired of dealing with immature boys every day."

Jellal gave it a thought. "I think we'll meet each other on our own terms, soon. It'd be best if I didn't meet her yet."

Her sister frowned, "Why not?"

"By the sound of it, she seems like a very busy woman. I wouldn't want to interrupt her everyday tasks for my own selfishness."

Juvia saw behind those fake, pretty words coming out of his mouth. "You're as busy as her, silly; if not, more. Don't worry, Siegrain, Juvia will make sure you get to meet the woman of your dreams soon." She affirmed with a wink.

A flustered Jellal bit back at that statement. "Juvia, this is not what it looks like."

In turn, she gave a smug grin. "You never seem interested in the other girls whenever Juvia spoke about them."

_That's because none of them are relevant in my plan to resurrect Zeref._

Or that's what Jellal told himself every time. In truth, Erza was too fascinating to not listen to. "She's…different from the others. Just because I'm interested in her doesn't mean I'm romantically invested."

A long _mhm_ followed as she suggestively grinned at him. "Juvia never mentioned anything about love. But now that she thinks about it…yes. Now it will be a battle between siblings!"

He did a double take, trying to contemplate her idea. "A battle between _what_? Juvia, has Fairy Tail bombarded you with too many tables? Do you have the _Natsu Disease_? I heard it's contagious."

Juvia was quite in fact offended by being compared to the most stupid person in Fairy Tail. "Natsu doesn't have any brain cells to begin with. Juvia is suggesting a friendly wager between her and Siegrain. Who can snag the love of their life first?"

He was about to counter her ludicrous suggestion with a snarky remark, before sighing in defeat. "I don't have an undying obsession with her like you do with that Gray Fullbuster. Who is he, anyway? I've never heard of him being regarded as an esteemed mage. If he was, then surely he'd make it on those lists Sorcerer Weekly issues monthly."

"You wouldn't know, Gray darling is so handsome! Just because you're on the _Perfect Boyfriend List_ , doesn't mean you have to degrade the other men."

His grip on the coffee cup tightened, just like his half-forced smile. "I assure you I wouldn't compare myself to the guild mages, especially Fairy Tail ones. I haven't stooped that low."

"Then are you saying Erza's too low for your standards?" she snapped back.

Her ambitious retort took Jellal by surprise. "She is the only exception to that rule." He paused. "Not that I'm implying anything."

A lengthy silence followed until Juvia pulled out a rolled-up magazine from her purse. "By the way, Juvia isn't sure if this magazine is an actual edition, but Sorcerer Weekly has a photoshoot dedicated to you."

"Impossible!" he declared as she slid the article in his direction. Jellal didn't know how they could capture such a natural picture of him, but Sorcerer Weekly snuck a photo of him into the latest edition. And if Erza truly was an avid reader, she would soon find out that Siegrain resembled her childhood friend, and was, in fact, _her_ Jellal. "I didn't give them my consent. I'm sure that's illegal."

If he had to guess, it had to do with the paparazzi outside the Magic Council. Jellal grunted, those pests always wanted to create scandals.

Juvia almost laughed, but kept a cool demeanour as she crossed her legs. "Seeing that you are of high status, it's possible to sue them—much less, get rid of that edition."

He smiled for the first time in a while, "That's probably my favourite part of being a Magic Council member."

She studied it more intently. "But Siegrain, you look good in it. Even if Levy will show this to Erza, it's enough to make her compliment you."

_You mean, kill me._

"And why would she show my face to Erza?"

"Because the purpose of these sleepovers are to catch up on the latest magazines and gossip. Though Erza hardly takes part. She's never taken an interest in talking much. She's so…unfair to herself. Juvia would do anything in the world to see Erza act normally."

He didn't know why, but a wave of guilt washed over him, as if the reason she secluded herself from the others was because of him. She'd never forget the Tower of Heaven.

Or the symbolic scars.

"Are you happy in Fairy Tail, Juvia? After all, it was my idea."

She nodded, "You have good judgement, Siegrain. They all accept Juvia, and we make so many memories together. They can be a handful, but that's what she loves about them. Juvia wouldn't know what to do without you. You're the best brother anyone could ask for."

"Glad you like it there, even though they're a rowdy bunch. The Magic Council isn't too happy with them."

Although Jellal and Juvia got along, they had very different ideals. "What if you join Fairy Tail? Then they won't have a reason to hate us!"

Jellal resisted the urge to gawk at her for an eternity. "I will do no such thing. Renowned it may be, there are certain people in that guild who tarnish Fairy Tail's name. I could name every single mage, since they have been brought up one too many times for the council's liking."

"You're just over your head, Siegrain."

He couldn't deny it. "No comment."

Jellal wondered why Juvia came to his place so often when not once she had offered him inside. "So, when do I get to see your place?"

"Never," she oh-so-confidently replied, loving the way he stared at her quizzically.

"And why is that?"

"Don't get Juvia wrong, she would've invited you if she could. But Fairy Hills is an all-girls dormitory."

"Is that so?" he mused. "And who enforced that rule?"

"Erza." Seeing it was Erza, there was no way getting around that rule. "Besides, Juvia's place isn't as nice as your house. Anyone would be shocked to see such a luxurious apartment."

He watched her, bemused by her effort to visit him as often as she could. "You don't need to come all the way to Era just to see me. Even seeing each other rarely is fine with me."

"Aside from Erza, you're the only sensible person Juvia's close with."

His lips curved up into a smirk. "So you admit that Gray is a handful?"

She rolled her eyes. "Juvia can't deny it. However, with the power of love, she will overlook Gray darling's flaws! He's so amazing!"

"I'm curious to meet some of these guild mates of yours."

"You may get your wish sooner than you think!"

Jellal knew meeting Fairy Tail would be a train wreck, but not as disastrous as seeing Erza again.

* * *

"Couldn't we have used your place, Mira?" asked Erza, slumping over her desk with ink and paper in front of her. She yearned to complete the written apology before the sleepover officially started.

Mirajane cracked a smile before patting Erza on her shoulder. "Aw, don't look so down, Erza. I helped you set up this time, so the least you can do is finish that letter before the rest of the girls arrive."

"But my handwriting is so bad! It's not even considered legible. The council members will laugh at the structure of it. I even got attacked by a mob of villagers when I gave them a letter. How- _is that even possible_? I was expressing my gratitude to them."

"Funny how you were the one who taught Natsu how to read and write."

Erza groaned, resting her head against the wooden desk while Mirajane went to greet the ladies invited to the sleepover. It had been the first time Evergreen joined them, who never seemed interested in participating.

"Erza! Thanks again for-" Levy couldn't help but pity Erza's dreadful state. "Er, what's the matter?"

"I need to submit a written apology to the Magic Council for destroying a village in East Forest! Why have I been forsaken like this?" she wailed.

Levy found the best way to repay Erza for going through the trouble of setting up the girl's night. "I can write it. I'll make sure it's convincing enough so those old men won't bother you again. Don't you worry your pretty little head, Erza!"

She slowly raised her head, squeezing Levy into a tight hug. "You're such a wonderful friend! Thank you, Levy, I wouldn't know what to do without you."

"Of course…you're- very- UGH!" the tiny mage collapsed on the floor, much to Erza's shock.

Mirajane stifled her laughter. "I think you were a bit too hard on her. Poor Levy, she doesn't have the strength to stand."

"I'm fine," an exasperated Levy sighed, struggling to get up. She plopped on Erza's bed, resting on the spacious bed with her hair sprawled out. "Wow, I wish I had a bed of your size. We can fit the entire guild here!"

"That theory will never be tested out," pointed out Erza. "Because the number one rule in Fairy Hills is:"

"No boys allowed," chimed the girls. The head girl approvingly nodded.

Juvia burst inside with a drunk Cana. "Sorry we're late! Juvia had to drag Cana here, she's completely lost it."

"And now she's going to be mumbling nonsense during our very important discussions," said Evergreen.

"Let the Fairy Girls Sleepover, BEGIN!" announced Mirajane, as everyone gathered around in their pyjamas, seated on Erza's bed or carpet. "Our first item in the agenda is the Sorcerer Weekly magazines! Levy, do you have all the three latest editions?"

The Solid Script mage held out all three editions. "I'm especially excited for the last one! It's an entire article dedicated to the _Perfect Boyfriend List_! Siegrain's on the front cov-" she trailed off, noticing that Jellal was not featured in the edition. "What? I could've sworn he was on the cover of one of these things."

Erza furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Who's that?"

Everyone gasped as if Erza committed the gravest of sins. Laki gaped at her. "You don't know _the_ Councilman Siegrain? He's the most eligible bachelor in Fiore!"

"Well, I-"

Evergreen fluttered her fan in front of her. "Don't tell me you don't read Sorcerer Weekly?"

"It's um- I don't have an-"

Cana cut her off, "So you don't enjoy reading magazines about pretty boys and Fairy Tail shenanigans?"

"Sure I do, it's just I don't have time and-"

Levy held a palm out in front of her, stopping in her tracks while composing the letter. "Hold on, Erza. You have never heard of him? And you know about the Blue Pegasus _nobodies_?"

A flustered Erza tried her best to justify how she knew an _Ichiya_ but not a Siegrain. "Master Bob is very close with Makarov. I've never associated with…what guild is he in again?"

Mirajane sighed. "Erza, he's on the Magic Council. If you don't know about him, you can just come clean. It gives us another topic to cover today, right, ladies?"

Erza couldn't help but notice Juvia remained quiet about the infamous councilman. "Ever wonder why Juvia didn't offer her input in the discussion?"

Juvia embarrassingly looked down, explaining the complicated status between Jellal and Juvia. "Well, you see…it's hard to believe but—Juvia knows Siegrain personally."

"Do tell," Cana ushered her to continue.

"He's my brother."

All the girls yelled at her except Erza. "WHAT?"

Mirajane grabbed her shoulders. "If he's your brother, why hasn't he come to Fairy Tail yet? Everyone would be delighted to have him there!"

Juvia weakly raised a finger in protest. "The guild might be happy to see him, but the feelings aren't mutual. As a councillor, Siegrain is very wary about our guild, especially in terms of Natsu. He thought Juvia had the _Natsu Disease_! Can you believe that?"

Levy vigorously nodded. "He's so creative, to think he's created a clinical condition for Natsu's contagious idiocy. What an intelligent man!"

Erza disagreed. "Natsu's charming in his own way, his innocence makes him lovable."

"Minus his loud snoring," said Evergreen.

"And his horrible table manners," added Kinana. She'd know best about his eating habits, being the one to serve him food on days he couldn't afford a meal at home—which was almost every single day.

Levy pitched in with her opinion. "Don't get me started on how he picks fights with everyone, Erza! You should know by now why almost no Fairy Tail wizard is on the _Perfect Boyfriend List_! They're horrendous!"

All the girls nodded their heads. Erza hung her head in shame, wondering why she bothered defending the Dragon Slayer. But now that she thought about it, they were right. "Still, how is he such a big deal? There are so many people on the Magic Council, they're not popular."

Juvia smiled brightly at her. "That's because Siegrain is the only councillor and Wizard Saint. He achieved both titles at sixteen. But he's also impressed with you, Erza. Juvia has told him all about you, and he thinks you're a lovely person."

Levy chortled. "Wow, I never thought he would know somebody who's never heard of him."

Erza embarrassingly glared at her, which turned Levy's laugh into a nervous giggle.

Mirajane clasped her hands together. "Anyway, Erza. To prepare for your meeting with Siegrain, you need to memorize all the facts about him. If you know the person you're going to meet, it makes the date—erm— _meeting_ much more pleasant."

Evergreen stared at Mirajane in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Titania's never had a love life. How do you expect her to kick it off with someone famous? And how is she going to even meet him?"

Everyone turned to Juvia, who prodded her fingers together. "Well, uh, Juvia just saw Siegrain recently. He likes his privacy to be respected."

The barmaid winked at her. "Who said anything about barging into his place? Erza's going to visit the Magic Council tomorrow. It'd be great if you could accompany her."

Levy raised her hand. "I should go too. After all, I _did_ write that apology letter for you, Erza."

The Requip mage sneered at her. "So that's why you helped me? I question every motive of yours, Levy."

Mirajane snapped her fingers to capture the ladies' attention. " _Ahem_. Okay Erza. We will be your _Guide to Siegrain 101_. It's time to nail down those facts."

"Do I have a say in the matter?" a gaped Erza asked.

"Nope, now let's get to it."

Needless to say, it was a endless night and Erza didn't remember a single thing. She found it odd that they didn't mention his appearance at all, but she heard something about beautiful green eyes and hair like Juvia before she fell asleep.

* * *

Her train ride to Era was like reviewing for a test the day of. She couldn't recall the night except for Cana's hangover in the middle of the night, and Evergreen giving a speech about why she should be called Titania. Erza dismissed it, thinking all the girls were out of their mind. The conversation about the _Perfect Boyfriend List_ lasted for hours, especially between Levy and Mirajane.

Makarov seemed pleased to see Juvia and Levy tag along with Erza, chuckling. "What do we have here? Are they here to reassure you before you meet the intimidating council members?"

Levy forced Juvia in a bow, slinging an arm over the taller girl's shoulders. "Actually, we're visiting the Magic Council to meet Juvia's brother."

Makarov already knew about the news well before the others. "Ah, Siegrain's told me you're his younger sister. Does he treat you well?"

The water wizard scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "He's a very polite brother and harbours good intentions for Fairy Tail. He's done so much to defend us, Juvia is thankful."

The guild master grinned. "He's a wonderful kid, he would be an exceptional asset for Fairy Tail."

"That being said, he has no interest in joining Fairy Tail after hearing countless stories about them."

Levy seemed satisfied. "That's expected, we've had our fair share of appearances on the council. We might as well be on their unpleasant side. Plus, there's the recent destruction Erza caused on that S-Class quest."

The train started departing, and the ticket holders came around to check the destination of each person. Erza leaned against the window seat with Juvia beside her. In front of her were Levy and Makarov. "Right. Erza, do you have the apology letter?"

She held it out in front of him and observed as he gently pulled the paper out of the envelope, skimming through the contents. "I see your writing has improved. I'm pleased with the formatting and structure."

Erza wasn't one to steal credit where it was due. She pointed at the Solid Script wizard. "Levy wrote it for me."

Said mage facepalmed at the extent of her honesty. Although it was a good trait of Erza's, sometimes her truthfulness filled the void for her naivety. Makarov was suddenly unimpressed, before joyously waving the paper in the air. "That's expected, just make sure not to tell the Magic Council. I might as well get Levy to do all the guild's paperwork from now on."

Levy held her hands out in protest. "Hold on, I only did this to compensate Erza's thoughtfulness. If you want me to do the paperwork, you must reward me generously, Master."

He put a hand to his chin, coming up with an idea specifically for the bookworm. "Yes, what if I grant you access to the guildhall's archives?"

Levy stood up and shouted at the proposition. "NO WAY! Master, that's the best thing I've heard all day! I agree to your terms and conditions."

"That was easy," said Erza.

Juvia nodded, noticing Erza's somewhat tired mood.

Levy held her hand suddenly, staring intently at Erza's chocolate brown orbs. "Do you remember everything we taught you about Siegrain last night?"

"Sure," she replied in her drowsy state.

Levy clapped her hands together before rubbing them, gearing up for the quiz. "Okay, so what's his blood type?"

Erza's gaze shifted to the window before looking back at Levy. "Green."

"Type O, Erza! Green wasn't even in the range of options! Would you like me to make this multiple choice?"

She sleepily nodded, resting her head against the seat. Juvia's eyes dilated in concern. "Levy, Juvia thinks she's too tired to answer these questions."

"Nonsense, Erza's S-Class, a few questions won't tire her out."

Juvia apologetically patted the S-Class wizard's shoulder as the eager mage continued. "Alright Erza, question two: how old was Siegrain when he became a Wizard Saint? The choices are one, sixteen, thirteen, and two."

Erza furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "None of the above? Didn't he become one when he was blue?"

Levy looked at her wondrously with her mouth slightly hung open. "Wow, I didn't know the possibility of puns, Erza. You really _are_ a smooth talker."

Makarov shook his head. "No, she's just sleep talking."

She sighed, knowing that the efforts put to educate Erza about this one man were all gone down the drain. She was hopeless, and all they could do was watch the chaos unravel.

Juvia didn't know how to react to seeing her brother after two days. Not that he ever voiced his irritation about being around Juvia—he didn't mind her visits. She just didn't want him to view her as a nuisance, especially since Jellal was one of the most important people in her life.

Makarov noticed her internal struggle. "Are you nervous to meet Siegrain?"

"Well, Juvia doesn't want to disturb his busy schedule. Siegrain sometimes gets exhausted after a long day of work. When Juvia visits him, sometimes he's sleeping."

She recalled the time when she barged into his house to help Juvia cover up her slip in destroying an entire town with Gray; even though they had the unspoken role of not barging into each other's houses. He woke up from his slumber, startled when Juvia practically shouted his name throughout the house.

Makarov didn't believe he would be tired out so easily and shrugged it off. "Cheer up, he'll be happy to see you. I think he gets annoyed seeing his colleague's faces every day."

Juvia softly chuckled. "That's true, Siegrain doesn't like going to work unless it's eventful."

She beamed, maybe this encounter with her brother would be better than they imagined.

* * *

"Erza, we're here," whispered Juvia, slowly waking her up.

The scarlet haired wizard put a hand to her mouth, opening her eyes slowly before facing Juvia. "Sleep is exactly what I needed! Another great edition would be strawberry cake."

Makarov stood up and watched Erza grab her letter, safekeeping it in her space dimension. "Erza, we're not here on a pleasant stroll in the park. This is a punishment."

She smiled at the guild master. "It doesn't seem so to me, since Levy and Juvia were so eager to tag along."

Levy slowly started, "Add a Mirajane."

Erza sighed, noticing the woman with an enormous sun hat with a sundress complimenting the outfit. "I had a hunch she came, only Mira can dress like that. She attracts a lot of attention."

On cue, the barmaid took off her large sunglasses and eyed the group of mages with panache. "Well, I couldn't help but wonder how Erza's first meeting would go. We all know her love life has never been this exciting."

Makarov seemed interested. "Oh? So this is what it's all about?"

It took Erza to push Mirajane and Levy out of the way before clearing her throat. "Master, my intentions are simply to give the letter and go back to Fairy Tail. Nothing more."

Little did she know that this Siegrain would have her fuming curiosity. "Anyway, we should go inside. We can't keep them waiting."

"Someone's a little nervous," teased Mirajane.

Juvia grabbed Erza's shoulders, shaking her. "If you're so nervous, Juvia can bring you to Siegrain's office. He wouldn't get angry at you for bringing the letter."

"Appreciated," nodded Erza.

Makarov pitched in. "Actually, we were going to see him either way. Yajima told me that the others were scheduled to a court appearance with the exception of Siegrain."

"In we go!" hollered Levy, pushing Erza towards the entrance.

Everyone commented about the luxurious structure of Era while Juvia led them before stopping for an escort. The toad croaked in agreement before leading them to the councillor's office, which was away from the chaos on the bottom floor. These offices were where outsiders seldom stepped foot into. Erza could tell. The halls were empty and guarded by few Rune Knights, standing on the posts of the grand doors, each designating a room for each council member.

The messenger knocked on the door before it automatically opened, surprising Levy of all people. "Woah, such technology!"

Mirajane looked amused. "That was the work of a magic user, Levy."

"I'm reading too much into this," sighed the younger girl.

There, the rolling chair made out of luxurious leather was turned to face the grand window panes at the back of the office. Jellal stared out into the view before tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair melodically. "I apologize on behalf of the Magic Council, they called you out here for such a trivial matter."

Makarov bowed down momentarily. "It's no problem, my brats wanted to see you today! They wanted to meet you in person."

"I'm glad this is the case, especially since not many of us see eye to eye. But to think Fairy Tail is so reasonable, it's quite a pleasant surprise." Erza tried recognizing the familiarity of the presence. It felt like a distant memory. She gazed at the seated man, stiffening when the chair faced them, with a beautiful face but a smile that told her so many unsaid things. "It's been a while, Makarov."

All it took was a glance at Erza and she was off the ground, blade in hand with emotions she hadn't felt ever since she was exiled from the Tower of Heaven. Jellal stood up on reflex and grabbed her wrist with the sword, predicting her movement. He found it somewhat amusing to see her so full of fury.

"Getting a little feisty, are we?"

She backed away, before lunging towards him again, this time tackling him to the ground as she held her intricate blade to his neck. "If you even forgot what you did to me for a second, I'll kill you right here and now!"

She couldn't read his expression as he remained passive. " _Monster_ ," she breathed, hissing out every single retort she had laced on the tip of her tongue. His lack of response frustrated her. Erza's hand snaked its way to his neck, applying pressure until his face contorted into something painful. "Speak, Jellal! Why aren't you saying anything? You've hurt so many people, took away their freedom, yet here you are!"

"ERZA!" she expected the fist of Makarov, or the tugging of Levy and Mirajane, but not the slap on the face from Juvia. The most polite girl in Fairy Tail just _slapped_ Titania on the cheek and dragged her off her brother. Juvia looked horrified, her eyes wide and mouth agape. "How- how could you? Siegrain's been wanting to befriend you, and, and _this_ is how you greet him? Juvia expected better from Erza!"

Erza desperately wanted to soothe the stinging pain. She felt the dull ache of the slap, both physically and emotionally. "Juvia, he's not Siegrain, this man cannot be your brother! He's a liar, a traitor, and someone who's tormented so many people. His actual name is Jellal." Again, she reached out for her sword, but Juvia kicked it away, standing between the two former childhood friends.

"Juvia will not let you hurt her brother. If you want to lay a finger on him, you'll have to go through Juvia first!"

Erza's breath caught in her throat. She looked like a liar in front of all of them, and Jellal wasn't going to say anything. This was not the boy from her childhood.

Jellal pulled Juvia back by her arm, standing up. "Juvia, you had no right to hit her like that. This is just a misunderstanding."

Levy and Mirajane were too stunned to do anything but watch the scene unfold. Erza's hands shook uncontrollably, avoiding his gaze.

Juvia felt sorry and helped Erza up, seeing her unresponsive to every touch. Her head hung down, either in shame or guilt, perhaps both. Jellal spoke up, directing his question to everyone. "Can I speak to her, alone?"

Makarov pinched the bridge of his nose. "But what if she tries to attack you again? I've faced enough embarrassment for a lifetime."

"We'll settle this matter on our own terms. And if you're wondering, I'm willing to overlook the attack if you all cooperate, despite her being the aggressor. Such news would put Fairy Tail in an…awkward position."

Jellal struck a chord in Makarov, because he forced Juvia out, with the other two girls reluctantly following him. He noted the two girls; one was Levy McGarden and the other Mirajane Strauss. Judging by Juvia speaking from experience, they were both rather nosy.

Once the doors shut, he sighed, and Erza dropped to the floor. "…why are you on the Magic Council? What have you been doing all these years?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, watching her rise and summon another sword, pointing it at his chest.

"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have lied to everyone, you wouldn't-"

"I'm not Jellal," he cut off. "Our resemblance startled you, I'm sure. But Jellal is my twin brother."

"That's a lie!" she yelled, pointing it closer threateningly.

"I understand it's hard to believe. I never wanted you to see me, because I was afraid I would only bring dreadful memories for you. But Jellal is still at the Tower of Heaven; while I'm here, having to keep his treacherous plans a secret day by day. It saddens me, but I have no choice."

"That doesn't add up, if Juvia knows about him, then why hasn't she said anything."

He gently reached out for her blade and set it down to her side. "Have you ever considered the possibility that she might _not_ know about him?"

"What?"

Jellal was speaking lie after lie, which wasn't his strong suit if he had to list the best things he could do as an evil mastermind. "Juvia and I aren't biologically related, I took her in because she had no family. I never told her about the Tower of Heaven because it's not her burden to carry. You'd agree with that, right?"

She spoke softly, in a tone she never did because Erza was her own rock; hard, dull, and all the things a normal girl wasn't. "Even so, why don't you try to stop him?"

He smiled, confusing her. "The question is, why don't you try to stop him, Miss Scarlet?"

"You claim to be meeting me for the first time, yet you know my name."

"As if I wouldn't have heard about Titania of Fairy Tail, a rare gem if you ask me. I've heard so many tales about you, and they don't do your beauty and strength justice."

Erza sighed with the faintest blush gracing her features. He reminded her of Jellal and yearned to meet him again. He resisted the urge to reveal to her that Siegrain, and him were the same person, showing how far he'd go to deceive her.

He continued, "Do you hate him after everything he's done?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I can't imagine him as this tyrant or sadist who's building the R-System. He used to be the courageous boy that I looked up to, that I lov- admired."

Her little slip on the last word didn't go unnoticed by him. Jellal felt somewhat relieved that she didn't harbour hatred towards him. "That said, I still don't forgive him for everything he's done. Imprisoning my friends, abandoning me, making me suffer for all those years. And if you do nothing to stop him, then you're just as bad as he is."

A pause. Jellal couldn't find the right words to say to her. If he said anything related to the past, or got personal—well, his career would be over with the surety of Erza's sword. "Why aren't you doing anything either?"

Erza huffed out in frustration. Every time she said something, he somehow found fault in her own words. "Because I'm not a council member nor a Wizard Saint! I can't do the things you're capable of stopping Jellal."

He leaned against the windowpanes. Jellal chuckled, surprising Erza. She thought he had a lot of nerve to be laughing. Jellal found the entire ordeal ironic. "If you claim that we need such power to defeat Jellal, then are you mentally prepared for his annihilation? It pains me to say this but, he's going to die along with your other friends if this comes to the Magic Council's attention." Her face dropped. Despite her protests, Jellal knew she still held a soft spot for him. He took her silence as realization. "The geezers will stop at nothing to get rid of the R-System, despite knowing there's so many innocent people in that tower against their own will."

"So, they'd even kill Millianna, Sho, and everyone I was…friends with?"

"Unfortunately yes, that's the intensity of the situation. I can't bring it in me to kill my brother. But I beg to see your opinion differ, Miss Scarlet. Do you want him dead?"

She searched into his eyes, and all she saw was Jellal. There was no Siegrain. She didn't want to believe that this man wasn't _her_ Jellal. "You're right, J- Councilman Siegrain. I don't want him to die. There's so many things I want to know and ask. I want him to revert to the old Jellal, the kind one."

Was he not nice enough already? He dismissed her violent encounter and even offered up to cover up for the destruction done to the S-Class quest. Then again, this was all under the name of Siegrain. "I'm curious, what is your impression of me?"

Erza was fair, just. She was also brutally honest. "I can't give you that answer."

"Oh?"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't see Jellal in you, and that you're an entirely different entity from him. But whenever I look at you, I'm reminded of him. It's not fair, and I shouldn't be expressing my feelings about him on you. I hope that changes, so that I can accept you for being _you_."

Jellal genuinely smiled. When was the last time he wasn't annoyed by the presence of a Fairy Tail member besides Juvia? "That's very kind of you, Miss Scarlet."

She returned the gesture. "Please, call me Erza."

"Then call me by my first name." He looked at the wall adjacent to him to check the time on the lacrima. "I believe we've kept your friends waiting long enough. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Not at all, we've taken time out of your busy schedule."

He grabbed strands of her hair, loving the colour. "You know, I wouldn't mind a visit or two from you." His lips curved up into a grin. "Maybe more, I've been entranced by your personality ever since I met you."

She didn't flinch away like he expected. If it were anyone else, she would've slapped them away. But it was him, and she cursed at herself for seeing Siegrain as Jellal. "I really don't know what to say. Those words do me honour."

"They're fitting for someone who walks the path of light like you, Erza."

The doors reopened, revealing her friends who were waiting. Juvia was at the back, looking away guiltily while Mirajane still had the hat and sunglasses. She studied him keenly. "So, what happened in there?"

"We were clearing up our misunderstandings, that's all." He answered as simply as she asked.

Levy nudged at Mirajane. "I think it's time we've asked him for that interview, don't you think?"

Erza glared at them. "You will do no such thing!"

"Someone's gotten soft," mumbled Makarov.

Jellal made eye contact with Juvia before flickering his gaze to the guild master. "This meeting has been worthwhile, and I'm glad to have met such a renowned wizard in Fairy Tail. However, I need to finish the rest of my paperwork, after I get the apology letter."

He held his hand out, waiting for the envelope. Erza summoned the letter and gave it in Jellal's hand, wary about his comments. He read it while noticing the handwriting. "This is a well-constructed apology. The best one I've seen from any guild."

Levy beamed, "That's because I wrote it!"

Jellal looked at Makarov, then Erza, who shrugged her shoulders. "She did in fact write it for me. I'm grateful for Levy's help."

"You're a very honest person Erza, I like that quality about you."

"Well she is Titania," winked Mirajane, coming up with alternative plans about her newly established relationship with Jellal. She thought everything went down the drain when Erza attacked him. She had to wonder: what caused her to hate him, and what did he say to convince her otherwise?

Makarov cleared his throat. "We should get going. Thank you for helping us, Siegrain."

"Anytime, I'll be expecting your next appearance on the council shortly."

"Don't count on it," bantered Erza. He took that as a challenge, while watching the four of them leave. Juvia didn't budge from her spot. The requip knight turned around to face her, "Aren't you coming, Juvia?"

The water wizard shook her head. "Juvia has some things to _discuss_ with Siegrain."

And Jellal knew this would be another interminable day.


	3. Wizard Saint Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jellal offers Erza a chance to take on a Wizard Saint quest. Things do not go well for Jellal in the aftermath of it.

"So," Juvia began, ambling back and forth as Jellal remained seated on his couch. "Juvia wants answers."

He looked at her innocently, "Answers for what, dear sister?"

"Don't you _dear sister_ Juvia! Why did Erza attack you earlier?"

"It was a misunderstanding. She mistook me for someone else."

"Really?" asked Juvia in mild surprise. Jellal knew he hadn't convinced her yet. "How can she mistake _the_ Councilman Siegrain?"

"I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."

"Juvia does, and you will tell her." She grabbed a pair of scissors and scissored them threateningly. To Jellal, nothing frightened him and Juvia knew, but she tried convincing himself otherwise.

He cast a warning glance, leaning back with his arms crossed, very unlike his usual posture. She realized what he had done after looking back to her hand, which once held the scissors. They were now floating in the air beside him.

He smirked. "My title as a Wizard Saint isn't necessarily a formality."

"Cheating prat," mumbled Juvia. Despite the incoherent mesh of words, Jellal properly made out her insult and disregarded it. "Please tell Juvia, _pleaseeee_."

"You will regret asking," cautioned Jellal. Juvia shook her head.

"Nonsense, you can tell Juvia anything."

"Haven't you wondered why Erza hasn't brought it up?" Juvia's eyes widened by a fraction, and Jellal interpreted her reaction as realization. "She has a pretty tragic past."

"Even more lies!" she scoffed. "If it's true that you've known this from the start, why did you play dumb as if you never knew Erza?"

He sighed, showing the complexity of her question. "If you really insist on knowing, then I will tell you. I have a twin brother by the name of Jellal."

"Jellal?"

He felt ridiculous for talking about himself like he was some murderer, but continued on. "Yes, but he's nothing like me. He and Erza met each other in a tower where a cult abducted children to complete the construction of the so-called tower. It's actually a tool used to revive people from the dead. Jellal found the idea to be promising and overthrew the cult, taking over the construction. Erza alone escaped because she was exiled from the tower by her former friend."

The story didn't sound complete to him. Jellal didn't remember what caused him to turn against Erza, nor why he gained interest in continuing on the construction of the Tower of Heaven. He was doing this for Zeref, but...

What influenced him?

Juvia placed a hand over her mouth. "So Jellal is…Juvia's other brother? And he's evil?"

Evil. Was he really that horrible of a person? He forced himself to nod, though she didn't take note of the stiffness. Juvia was never observant; he preferred that over a sharp person.

She guiltily fingered the hem of her dress. "Juvia is sorry for bringing the topic up. It must be hard for both you and Erza to come to terms with that."

"I've gotten over it. However, Erza feels different. Be considerate to her feelings and don't bring up the past."

Juvia nodded.

"Any other questions?"

Juvia gave it a long thought. Even though she got her answers, her brother was a mysterious person in her eyes. "What are you to Erza?"

"What do you think, Juvia? This was her first time meeting me, and it wasn't very pleasant."

"Judging by the way she bid you farewell, Erza's taken an interest in you."

"A pity." He coolly replied.

Juvia rolled her eyes at the lack of Jellal's interest in the conversation. He seemed so…scientific in the understanding of emotions. "You will never get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"Not that it's something I've been looking forward to. Unlike you, I have more important things to do."

"Juvia finds that hard to believe."

At this, he was mildly horrified, but contained it with an irritated face. "Like I said, not happening."

"It sounds like something you _could_ do."

He raised an eyebrow. "Firstly, I have never given hints about it. My work and additional studies occupy most of my day."

"Don't you go to a bar late at night or enjoy some time at a resort?"

Jellal narrowed his eyes at her. "You're joking, right? I wouldn't be out drinking late at night or going to a resort. Though, that sounds like a sufficient vacation idea."

"…and you'd go by yourself?"

"Yes. Who else would I take?"

She facepalmed herself. "This is what Juvia is talking about. You don't go to a resort by yourself, there's no fun in that! You go with your friends or a significant other."

"The council members come as close to being my friends."

She stifled her laughter. "A sorry excuse for a human being."

Jellal looked calm. "Indeed."

Silence followed, since Jellal barely spoke. Hearing him speak about anything outside of work was a miracle; hearing his voice was a blessing himself. Her brother was a quiet man, but Juvia didn't mind it. Jellal's lack of friendships didn't unnerve her, because she knew he was busy.

"Juvia is sorry you don't get to enjoy those luxuries."

Despite the softness of his voice, his expression remained distant and detached. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Juvia realized it was his eyes; cold and calculating. Those were the eyes that intimidated his enemies, as if he was reading them like a book. She heard another sigh, and she jumped at the sound of his voice again. "Juvia, you're looking into this too much." He paused, after studying her intently with a hint of surprise in his tone when he asked, "Could it be that I frighten you?"

She clenched and unclenched her fists, taking a shaky step back. "You- you can read my mind." She accused, looking deep into the green, brown, and golden of his eyes.

"I don't have a clue what you're thinking about. I'm just concluding information based on my observations. It's not every day that you see someone so nervous that they sweat."

She felt the bridge of her nose and wiped off the glistening sweat. When had she become so aware of herself? She studied Jellal, who still locked eyes with her. He seemed unbothered by her assumption, but she was so sure it wasn't pure coincidence.

 _Liar,_ she thought, knowing full well that her brother was reading her mind.

Jellal's lips curved upwards, _I know I am._

"Listen, Juvia. It may be hard to believe me since I'm a mysterious person."

"Weird," she corrected immediately. "You don't have any friends, nor do you enjoy your life. What is wrong with you, Siegrain? Juvia feels sorry that you live such a hollow life. She wants you to be happy."

He opened his mouth to say something against her assumption, but continued. "I know you think I'm not normal, so it may be hard to believe anything I say. I grew up being attentive to every detail."

It was hard to look past his intimidating personality when he usually faked his sincerity. They loved Jellal, because he acted sincere to the public's regard for their devotion to him. That made her think a lot.

Jellal waited for her to ask the other question, patiently watching her ponder over it. She froze yet again, trying to muster up the courage to confront him.

"Why…why did Siegrain join the Magic Council and become a Wizard Saint? You seem bothered by those titles."

He already had an answer, acting as if he couldn't read every thought of hers. "I needed a job, and I wasn't interested in guild work. Being on the Magic Council lets me continue my research about magic. As for the other title, they automatically gave it to me after conducting an MPF test, which was required before I became a council member. I hadn't asked for it; it was a blessing bestowed upon me."

Juvia remained quiet, giving a nod as sufficient acknowledgement. Her throat was dry because she knew he was reading her mind right now. Jellal didn't show any sign of doing it, remaining passive despite going through her wildest fantasies with Gray. He didn't bother going into further detail after seeing a shirtless Gray.

Little did he know that seeing him shirtless was normal in Fairy Tail.

"Well, are you done with your questions?" asked Jellal, getting off the couch and making his way towards the kitchen.

"Yes, Juvia will leave now."

Jellal set a container of pasta on the table after pulling it out from the fridge. "I feel bad that you've come all the way. How about some dinner before you leave?"

"That's very kind of you, but Juvia needs to go."

She took a step backwards, then whirled on her heel towards the locked door.

"Don't get any ideas about bringing up the past to Erza." Jellal called out as she left. Juvia slammed the door behind her, furious.

"Clever man. You most definitely _can_ read Juvia's mind." She mumbled under her breath before making her way down the apartment's luxurious hallway.

* * *

Erza carried another souvenir around town; a large decorated horn in her right hand with luggage being dragged in her left. She had drawn a lot of attention, hearing people question among themselves if she was Titania, which she brushed off. Erza didn't mind the talk. It was normal because of Fairy Tail's reputation. She felt silly to hold it as a prize, so she dematerialized her luggage into her requip dimension. Now she could study the decorations more carefully, twisting the horn to inspect every detail painted by the villagers.

She smiled, holding it out in front of her so she couldn't see ahead. Bad mistake, she bumped into a crowd of people.

"Watch where you're going!" someone hollered, before turning their attention back to the spectacle.

"Sorry," she whispered, deciding to keep the horn in her dimension until she reached Fairy Hills. Upon making it disappear, she laid eyes upon Jellal, who was untouched by a mob of mages piled on top of each other, injured.

"That's overkill," a man murmured.

Someone else nodded. "No kidding, the guy didn't even move from his spot."

Jellal glanced over to her, as if sensing her presence. He uncrossed his arms and left the scene, making his way towards Erza.

She backed away, smiling sheepishly when he was a few feet away. "Councilman Siegrain, I didn't expect to see you here." She half-bowed awkwardly, unsure if she was supposed to. The others had whenever he passed by any locals.

Jellal looked amused. "I told you to drop the formalities."

She looked stunned. The crowd turned their attention to them.

He caught her attention again when he cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, would you like to accompany me on my mission? I could use some help."

She almost snorted. There was no way he needed help.

But nonetheless, she found herself saying, "Of course."

Erza's shoulders tensed as they walked away. There would be more talk about her—about them. He could practically feel the tension in the atmosphere.

"You don't have to accompany me. By the looks of it, you seem tired."

Erza almost agreed with him, but curiosity got the best of her. They had only met once; why would he ask her of all people?

"No, it's fine. What kind of quest is it, anyway?"

"It was from the Magic Council for the Wizard Saints." He informed, uninterested and bored.

She contained her gasp and excitement. Is this how Natsu felt when he wanted to go on S-Class quests? Erza never imagined she would take a top tier quest. Granted, it wasn't a century quest, but the adversaries were much stronger when it was a Wizard Saint quest.

"Why me?" she blurted, curious about his intentions.

He shrugged. "I just ran into you by chance. Besides, you still seem uncomfortable around me despite our conversation a few days ago."

Erza's lips pursed into a thin line. "It's because I don't know how to approach you. You're the only one who knows about my past. I've never had to worry about anyone knowing about my skeletons. But then you came along."

He raised an eyebrow. "You'd rather not have me around?"

She blushed in embarrassment at the suggestion. "No! That's not what I meant. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

To her surprise, he failed to suppress his laughter. "At least your honest, Erza. It's nice to not see the countless people who give me fake smiles."

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" she defended, placing her hands on her hips.

He was smiling now, much to her surprise. "I know."

Erza narrowed her eyes at him, chewing the inside of her cheek. "You can read my mind, can't you?"

He tapped his head, "Telepathy. It's an unconscious habit."

"Then there wasn't really a need to interrogate me about my past, was there? You knew who I was from the start."

"I only had a hunch because you attacked me. Many people wouldn't have the audacity to lay a finger on me."

She wanted to ask him about the fight going on before she arrived, but held her breath. It wasn't really her business, and she didn't like it when other people were nosy.

"Those kids picked a fight with me. Naturally, I obliged." He explained, proving his telepathy worked. She continued walking a fair distance from him. "Have I confirmed your suspicions?"

She gave a nod, gazing in his eyes. "What if I try to conceal a thought from you? Will you still be able to dig it up?"

"We can test that theory, but I can only tap into the thoughts of a person when I'm conscious about it." He stopped, and she stood in front of him. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to think of the times she fought with Mirajane, and not the other questions she had about him.

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't be curious about him._

"You're wondering what this quest is about," he concluded, as she reopened her eyes and huffed in frustration. He returned to his expressionless self, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"How?"

His eyes flickered to her armour momentarily before meeting her gaze. "Instead of averting the questions, you think about them more. By focussing on forgetting them, you have no new memory to fill up the void. Therefore, I can read your aversion rather than hear a new thought."

"It seems nearly impossible to hide my thoughts from you." She claimed, pacing ahead while Jellal caught up.

"Not impossible, but it requires a lot of concentration. That, or someone can be unreasonably stupid and find their way around it if they act without thinking."

"I bet that's something Natsu could do," she half-joked.

Jellal took an interest in Natsu, who seemed like a formidable opponent only because he heard stories about the boy being raised by Igneel. "Salamander? Well, despite being an airhead, he has his ways of impressing the Magic Council occasionally."

"He's only good for sending repair bills to our guild master," she muttered, which caused him to grin.

"I'm afraid that's true. But he's not the only one..."

Erza glared at him for the implication. He didn't falter in his movements. "My visits to the council are less frequent."

"So I've heard," he mused, continuing along the winding path of a mountain.

"I believe you still didn't tell me where we are going."

"The mission takes place in an ancient village. I'm going to retrieve the seal of an ancient god, Yagdo Rigora."

Erza's eyes widened far more than her liking. She couldn't believe they would duel with an ancient creature meant to be slain with God Slaying Magic—which was a miracle of its own. Those deities were known to be more powerful than dragons.

"How do they expect you to complete that task?"

"You overestimate the task. It's simple, really. All we have to do is retrieve it from the now extinct Yakuma clan."

"Isn't that the job of an archaeologist?" she asked.

Jellal was taking pleasure in having a conversation with someone who knew nothing about Wizard Saints. "I also have the authority to dig up magical artifacts. I'm there to retrieve it should the bottle be tampered with, causing the awakening of the god."

"I wonder how you'll fare with it, no wonder you need my help."

"It seems I do," he agreed, though he knew full well that he could take care of Yagdo Rigora. Bringing Erza along was an added bonus, to cure his boredom as he called it.

The winding path came to a stop where there was a cliff leading to the ancient village underneath. Erza deadpanned. "Couldn't we have found an easier path to take?"

He smirked, "A small price to pay for the chance to visit this civilization. Besides, this place is surrounded by mountains." Erza took the opportunity to observe the natural beauty surrounding the village. "It's a natural barrier for enemies, and it's quite efficient. It's such a shame the clan fell victim to Ankhseram."

Erza's lips became a thin line in an effort to conceal her surprise. "I've heard of that word. Ankhseram…that's the curse for the Black Wizard. That means..."

Jellal gave a curt nod. "Yes, the Black Wizard came into contact with this ancient civilization. It goes to show how old Lord Zeref really is."

Erza cocked a brow at him. " _Lord_ Zeref?"

Jellal didn't realize his mistake until Erza emphasized the name, watching her pupils dilate. "That's the man Jellal's trying to revive, right?"

She was wondering why Jellal used _Lord Zeref_ , but sighed, knowing he wouldn't answer her question.

"Yes, but you needn't worry about it." He didn't show any signs of empathy towards Erza, especially since Jellal never regret his decision of following Zeref. It gave him all the knowledge he could ask for in the world.

She was bitterly quiet, wanting to hear something that would comfort her. He exhaled sharply at her silence, "Erza, the world isn't as black and white as it seems."

Erza didn't cry, but her throat constricted at the thought of Siegrain defending Jellal for his actions. "Jellal was never like that. He was a man who fought for justice, so how can he not know that he's in the wrong, Siegrain?"

Her voice cracked towards the end, but her defiant expression remained. Jellal didn't think there was any point in fighting her. The last thing he would want is to conclude things with Erza on a bad note. "You're right," he forced out, his jaw clenching.

She didn't seem to show any signs of being angry with him. Erza intertwined her fingers together, staring at them. "Sorry."

If it were anyone else, he would have politely dismissed the apology. But this was Erza, the woman with an unconquerable demeanour screaming strength.

"I know you didn't mean that." Jellal said, face returning to his cold expression. Erza could feel the hairs on her neck stand, shivering at his gaze.

"No," she concurred, "I didn't."

She felt like there was an imbalance between their power. He seemed to influence her actions, sparking awareness. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Jellal, what happened to you?" she said lowly, locking eyes with him. She forgot this was Siegrain she was speaking to.

Jellal froze, searching for any recollection of Erza discovering his identity in her mind. Erza flinched from him suddenly, smoothing her skirt as she realized what she called him. "I didn't mean to call you Jellal. I'm so sorry!"

She expected him to be furious with her for disregarding his identity, but he dismissed it. The Wizard Saint liked the ring of his name when she spoke about him. He couldn't care less about his established alibi.

"I'm not angry, Erza. You don't need to apologize."

"I'll get used to calling you Siegrain, I promise."

He simply stared at her, before looking back at the village. He didn't want her to get into the habit of calling him Siegrain, but decided to not ponder over the subject. "Can you fly down there?"

Erza requipped into her Flight Armour, surprising him with the immense speed of changing outfits. "Yes."

"Alright, let's go down there." He flew with Meteor and reached the ground countless seconds before Erza, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Impressive," she commented, changing into her Heart Kreuz.

"You're also talented, Erza. I haven't seen anyone requip as fast as you. It seems you hold a mastery over it."

"My original magic stems from telekinesis, and I suppose with that, I'm able to wield many weapons simultaneously."

He didn't realize it until now, but Simon and Millianna described Erza's magic controlling inanimate objects when she first unleashed it, which is how she fought off the previous cult. He now understood the connection between her requip and telekinesis.

Jellal gave no comment, scouring the village for any evidence of Yagdo being sealed. It was hauntingly quiet, especially since Erza made sure to search in a different direction silently.

"Jel- Siegrain, come look at this." Erza called out from a civilian home, placing her hand over the cork of a bottle to prevent it from coming out.

Jellal extended his hand, taking the bottle from Erza's grasp and feeling the magic energy within it. He placed it on a table full of moss and guided Erza out of the house from her back after seeing the bottle rattle. "I believe we've woken up the god."

A yellow light flashed intensely and shot up in the air, engulfing the entire village. Jellal secured Erza by the waist and flew towards the cliff they were once perched on.

The golden light subsided into a glare, revealing the ancient god at least a hundred times bigger than them. Yagdo first felt his fingers, moving them around stiffly before regaining his footing, planting his foot on the remnants of a nearby structure.

"What do we do?" questioned a petrified Erza. "He's a god, there's no way we can win."

Jellal was unfazed by the deity, which caught Erza by surprise. _Is he even human?_

She turned to look his way, but found Jellal racing underneath Yagdo to retrieve the bottle and cork, which was rolling on the cemented sandstone beneath the table of the now crushed house.

The monster struck the house, and Erza raced down there to help Jellal.

But he was standing on the god's shoulder, reciting a spell which produced a meteor in the sky. Yagdo clumsily struck Jellal, who outran the movements of the ancient creature.

Erza requipped into her Purgatory Armour and struck Yagdo from the bottom, finding that it had no effect. Jellal shouted from above, "Erza, stand back!"

She noticed the meteor raining down, so she used Rigora as a shield, standing between the large gap of his legs.

It still caused her armour to break into pieces, but she still escaped the attack without too much damage to her body. Unfortunately for them, the god was barely scratched.

"What now?"

Jellal rubbed his temples, trying to think of a spell. "We'll have to control him somehow." He prepared another incantation. "The Yakuma race used to hold on to this magic. They were somehow able to control him."

"That monster is a spell!?"

Jellal nodded. "That's not the only thing, this _spell_ can also be passed down." He held the bottle towards Yagdo, and began the incantation. _"Niel Wielg Mion Terse Elcantaeus: Yagdo Rigora."_

Yagdo Rigora howled as he was being sucked into the bottle as Jellal concentrated his magic power on sealing the god with half of his power. Jellal scoffed at his stupidity. He should've done it when he merged with his Thought Projection.

With the last traces of the magic in the bottle, Jellal sealed it with the cork and approached Erza with languid steps. She sat up, feeling parts of her bare skin scratched from Jellal's spell striking her.

"You're powerful," she gasped out, returning to her original outfit after she caught her breath.

He held out the bottle, watching Erza struggling to stand up. Jellal had strange ways of seeking revenge, especially when his victims were vulnerable. He didn't offer to help her. Erza took it the wrong way, feeling proud that he assumed she was strong enough to recover from the spell.

"Are you hurt?" Erza asked.

"No," he responded. Finding it common courtesy, he said, "What about you? That spell did a number on you." She clutched her ribs and faintly croaked, almost gone unnoticed by Jellal. "If you need healing, I can help you with that."

She managed a slight smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I feel nothing. Thank you for the experience."

"Hm?"

"It feels nice to take a mission with someone else."

"It does," he hummed in response, finding the trip to be more pleasant than usual.

"Maybe we can go on more missions sometime?" she weakly offered, afraid of being rejected.

"Indeed, we should attempt another trip sometime."

She laughed after a moment of lengthy silence, "We should part ways now. I'm sure reporters are dying to create scandals. Fairy Tail's reputation is an all-time low, I'm sure you wouldn't want to be seen with me."

So she seemed to care about his reputation. An interesting thought. If it were anyone else, they would beg for the publicity. He considered it for a moment and realized she had no ulterior motives.

"Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow evening?"

Erza paused at question, tucking her hair behind an ear. "You're not busy?"

"That's why I'm inviting you," he attempted a charming smile.

Erza nodded. "That's very kind of you." She straightened up, offering her hand for him to shake. "I accept."

"Dinner it is," he confirmed, reaching out to take her outstretched hand until he knelt down, hand on his forehead.

"Siegrain!"

He looked up at her with one eye and grunted. "I'm fine, just…tired."

Jellal felt a series of memories flood through his mind as he continuously looked at Erza. She reached down to help him up. "I can take you to a physician."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"No, you're not."

He stood up by himself, snatching his arm from her grasp. "Like I said, I'm perfectly fine."

She felt slightly offended by the sudden jerk of his arm, but contained her frown. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

He withdrew his other hand from his head and crossed his arms. "Yes, I'll come get you at the guildhall at six."

Jellal cursed at himself. He should've taken the day off, not ask someone out to dinner while his head was hurting! After minutes of convincing the knight he felt better, Erza left with an approving smile.

When she was out of sight, he collapsed.


	4. An Eventful Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jellal holds Erza up to the dinner. Things become amusing for him when Erza's memories resurface.

Jellal's eyes groggily shot up to the ceiling as he lay on a…

He felt the bedding beneath him and noticed the bed was slightly inclined, and the mattress was firm.

A voice in front of him informed, "He's awake."

After hearing a bit of shuffling and occasional sobs, he felt a presence around him.

"Siegrain!" shouted Juvia, shaking his shoulders as she mourned over her initial shock. She punched his chest, causing Jellal to blink hardly before staring at her. "Don't ever try to faint again, you gave Juvia a heart attack! You've also worried Erza sick. You-" she sniffed loudly before blowing her nose into a tissue.

Porlyusica rolled her eyes and gave a hard hit on the head with her broom. "You insufferable child, it didn't have anything to do with his injuries."

"That's exactly why he could've died!" she wailed, nestling her head on Erza's lap before sobbing into her lap. Erza placed a tentative hand on Juvia's hair before stroking it gently, her other hand clenching and unclenching at her side. She tensed at the memory of watching Jellal struggle with his headache.

Jellal found her silence odd, but diverted his attention from her and onto Porlyusica. "What happened to me?"

Porlyusica's lips grew into a hard line before glancing back at the Fairy Tail mages. "Would you prefer to be with them as I give you my diagnostic report? It's not good."

Juvia opened her mouth to protest against the required privacy, but Jellal told her instantly, "No. I don't want anyone else here."

Porlyusica twirled her broomstick in her hand. "You heard the Wizard Saint. Get out."

Juvia gripped Erza's skirt and shook her head. Erza, however, took her hand and led her out the doorway.

"Erza! Juvia cannot believe you are listening to him when you saved his life! You should be allowed to stay."

Erza shrugged it off with a small smile. "If Siegrain wants to be alone, I'm going to respect his wish. Let's go."

She was being dragged along with Erza, and Jellal silently thanked her for keeping her away. The door clicked shut and Porlyusica double-checked to see if they were eavesdropping. Jellal didn't need to approach the door. He could see Erza walk alongside the blue-haired mage, who was clinging to her.

"She saved you while you were unconscious."

"I'll thank her later. Though, it was a minor headache." He felt his forehead. "I've never passed out from any injury before."

Porlyusica studied him as he pulled off the covers and found his coat unbuttoned. He waited for an explanation.

"I had to see if your headache had anything to do with your physical health. It seems you're perfectly healthy. Rather, your brain seems to have an issue."

"I've never been referred to a mind healer in the past."

"You don't need healing." She simply said. "Your headaches are related to the voids of your memory. Researchers in the past have associated the condition with being possessed. It alters your memory, which can cause you to lose canon memories from the past."

Jellal's lips curved upwards. "A pity I can't fall victim to Possession Magic."

"I understand your power holds a significant advantage over others. However, it's possible that you may have been possessed in your younger years, when you didn't use magic."

"I'm aware it's something to consider, seeing that I have a few gaps in my memories as a child. Despite that, I don't recall anything used to possess me. It could be possible that the gap in my memories can be a result from physical injuries."

Porlyusica's frown deepened. "Would you care to elaborate on the types of injuries?"

He studied her intently. "It's not worth bringing up. The major injuries I've sustained were from the past."

She tried to remain passive about it, but he could hear the smallest gulp from her. "There are many possibilities. But let's suppose hypothetically that someone possessed you. The headaches can result from you fighting the magic now that you're stronger than the caster."

"You seem keen on that thought."

"It's because when I scanned your brain, you sustained no damage from these injuries in the past. I'm positive that possession magic is the only viable explanation."

Jellal buttoned his coat and stood, making his way towards the door. "So the only thing to do is to wait the magic out, if that's the case?"

"It seems like your only option. Unless you can find the person responsible and make them undo the spell, you're going to have to wait it out with the headaches."

"What are the odds of me finding that person?"

Porlyusica shook her head. "It may be easier than you think. Someone might have possessed you because they want to observe you."

Jellal gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I appreciate the help. Thank you."

She didn't say anything in response. She nudged at the door, twisting the knob and swinging it wide open before chasing after Erza and Juvia. They hadn't gone far, but Jellal could see the healer struggle as she fetched them. He never thought for a second that someone could be using him to do their bidding.

But why him?

His train of thoughts were interrupted when Erza and Juvia reentered the small house. They both stood beside his bed, looking lost.

Erza was the one to speak. "You don't seem well. Maybe we should cancel the plans for tonight. I can always take you up on your offer another day."

He smiled at her considerate attitude. "I told you, everything is fine. It was a minor headache, but thanks to Porlyusica, I'll be fine."

Juvia's eyes widened at his invitation, wondering why he asked Erza of all people out on dinner. She proceeded to smack his head with a newspaper after rolling it up sloppily. "Good to see you're doing well, Sieg."

"Might I ask what provoked you to hit me?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Juvia will tell you very well what you did, you inconsiderate buffoon!"

Jellal's eyes narrowed at her choice of words. "Fairy Tail has seriously impacted your vocabulary."

"Hush, Siegrain. You may be a Wizard Saint, but Juvia is upset by how you expressed your gratitude to Erza. She saved your life."

Jellal had been planning to thank her properly when Juvia wasn't in sight. He averted his gaze from Juvia and turned to Erza. "You have my gratitude, Erza. I apologize about worrying you. If I'd known about my condition, I wouldn't have taken you on the job."

Erza gave a merry smile. "Protecting each other is what friends are for. Besides, you saved me on that mission. Consider it the favour returned."

_Friends? Hardly. You're my sacrifice._

"Ahem," Porlyusica interrupted them with a cough. "Not anything personal, but I'd ask that you leave my place. I can't stand all this sappy talk."

The mages left without a word, with Erza tagging along with Jellal as Juvia raced ahead, talking about the weather and the story of how Jellal saved her from the gloom. Erza listened keenly with the occasional laughter with Juvia.

Jellal found her explanation exaggerating. "Juvia, I'm really not a miracle worker. I doubt my words made such a large impact to your life."

Erza gave a small smile, being reminded of when Jellal's words of hope in the Tower of Heaven became her salvation. "I'm sure they meant everything to her. It's amazing how words that seem meaningless to us can become someone's reason to live."

 _Raison d'être_ , someone's purpose for existing.

Jellal looked away as he responded, "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

* * *

Mirajane squeezed Juvia's face in her hands as she registered every word dripping from the younger mage's mouth. "Okay, so for the tenth time, Erza's going on a date with _the_ Siegrain of the Magic Council?"

Juvia could only manage a small nod before Mirajane released her, throwing her arms up in the air. "I can't believe she's already snagged a boyfriend, and what a sexy man he is!"

Levy nodded her head, "I kinda envy Erza. Now she'll be able to talk about magical theory and all that fun stuff with Siegrain!"

"I don't think Erza would have those conversations with him. She's hardly interested in magical theory and law."

The conversation about Jellal and Erza had tired Juvia out after saying the one thing they made her reiterate ten times for confirmation. "Juvia needs to clarify something. They're not going out."

"Huh?" the mages did a double-take before Mirajane resumed pinching her cheeks.

"It's just a dinner. Juvia—overheard them talk about-" she paused to soothe the aching of her cheekbones, which were being compressed by the second. Her appearance was comparable to a suffocating fish.

Maybe now wasn't a good time to think about the bad jokes Happy made.

"Erza said he didn't have to take her out…on dinner. But he insisted—despite being injure-"

She dropped to the floor when Mirajane released her. She took the opportunity to catch some much-needed breath. "You did an outstanding job of spying on Erza, Juvia!"

Juvia blinked. "What? Juvia had a mission to spy on her?"

"Now we're going to make Erza's love life extra spicy with this piece of news." Cana drawled out with her bottle of beer in her hand. "She's going to get shagged by the sexy man soon!"

Juvia deadpanned at their vulgar language. No matter how much she denied it, Juvia could never lie to her brother about where she learned her quick tongue from. Jellal was extremely observant; she thought it was impossible to hide anything from him. She would go crazy, eventually. "Can we please not call him… _that_?"

"Sexy?" Cana repeated, unbothered.

Juvia gave a horrified yelp at the description of Jellal. "What if Erza hears you call him _that_ if they start going out?"

"She won't mind," Mirajane said. "Whether anyone has a crush on him, Siegrain is one of the top male wizards in Fiore. It's only natural the girls are swooning for him. Besides, I don't think they're going to start dating for a while."

"Why do you say that?"

"Has Siegrain ever dated someone before?"

Juvia shook her head, recalling the times Juvia teased him for it. Jellal always said he never had time for it, but she always found it hard to believe he didn't seem interested in romance at all. Then again, Erza never talked much about men. She'd only blatantly converse about Natsu and Gray being total imbeciles on missions.

"Exactly. And our little Erza's never gone out with anyone, either. Unfortunately, they're both clueless when it comes to romance."

"That's expected," Levy pointed out, continuing to write in a book with her quill.

"Juvia doesn't understand your point."

Mirajane sighed pitifully and placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Oh Juvia. Simply put, they're going to dance around each other until one of them confesses."

"Juvia thinks Siegrain doesn't like Erza in that way. He seems to be concerned about her, nothing more."

The conversation died down when Erza entered the guildhall in her Giant Armour, confusing the ladies.

Levy made quick work of snatching all the Sorcerer Weekly magazines and piling them on the bar counter.

"Erza," Juvia greeted, eyes far too round for her liking. "Don't you have a meeting with Siegrain later tonight?"

The scarlet-haired mage blushed in response. "Yes, it's a formal dinner."

Cana whined, "Killjoy. Call it a date. It's a date!"

Erza pointedly glared at her. "It's a dinner. Nothing more."

Mirajane clasped her hand over Cana's mouth. "Right. A dinner. Anyway, why are you dressed like that? Did someone attack the guildhall?"

"Nonsense," Erza sniffed. "This is what I'm going to wear to the dinner."

" _NO!_ " the ladies of Fairy Tail felt the heavy armour around her before stealing the ridiculously large spear in her gloved hand.

Levy studied it, "Erza, you're going out to enjoy a meal, not fight a dark guild."

"I know, but this is the nicest one in my collection! The headband is reminiscent of cat ears."

Mirajane gave a knowing look, "Don't you have an outfit with cat ears?"

"Oh, this one?" Erza requipped into a white revealing outfit with matching ears and paws, to the ladies' horror.

Cana hiccuped as she laughed. "Erz, are you trying to seduce the councilman?"

She dematerialized it back into her blouse and skirt. "I never said I was going to wear that. Even I admit it's indecent in front of a grown man."

"Bottom line is, you need an outfit." Mirajane assumed. "If I knew you were lacking in dresses, I would've bought you some for your birthdays. It never really occurred to me you've never had an interest in fashion. I thought you enjoyed wearing cute things."

Erza sank her head into her face. "It seems my wardrobe is a bit outdated," she admitted embarrassingly.

"Not to worry, there are many choices in Magnolia. The day is young, let's cease it!"

Levy nervously laughed at her words. "Mira sounds somewhat like Erza. It's a bit concerning."

* * *

In Era, Jellal was finishing his paperwork early for the dinner. Ultear heard his fast penmanship as she entered his private headquarters without permission. Not that she would ever comply with his wishes. She was just as nosy as the Fairy Tail mages.

She looked over his work with a satisfied smile. "Why the sudden rush?"

He looked over in her direction briefly before turning back to his paperwork. "I have an event to attend this evening."

"Oh, really?" she asked with interest. "I'm curious to know what kind of _event_ this is. Surely _Lady Ultear of the Magic Council_ must've been invited."

"It's a private matter. I won't discuss it any further."

She gave a vicious hum before holding out a newspaper. It had been the primary reason she had visited him today. "If I had to take a guess, this private affair is with Erza Scarlet."

He dropped his quill and sharply turned to her. "How did you guess?"

She burst into a fit of laughter before wiping away a tear. "Look at that adorable expression! You can't hide anything from me, Jellal. It seems you didn't heed my warnings from a year ago."

"Answer my question," he demanded.

She slid her hand on the table so it was next to Jellal's, towering over him as he remained seated. "Let's date."

The idea itself made him want to send her across Ishgar. How dare she suggest such a ludicrous idea!

"Out of the question," he said through gritted teeth. "First you act like my mother, and now you're trying to become my girlfriend!? _What is wrong with you, Ultear?_ "

She pouted, "I should've known you wouldn't agree. You're too invested in that S-Class mage to even consider anyone else."

"Oh Ultear," he flashed a smirk in her direction. "I think you're asking to die early, and I won't hesitate to grant your wish."

"Hm? What makes you say that?"

"I have not lost my mind over a Fairy Tail mage. That is the most ridiculous thing you ever said. Disciplined she may be, Erza's still in Fairy Tail. There is no way I will ever date her. I'm practically begging for a scandal if I do."

She crossed her arms, "I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that, sweetheart. The tabloids have caught you taking her out on a mission."

Ultear plopped the newspaper above his paperwork, which earned a sharp exhale from the Wizard Saint as he scanned it. "I figured as much."

"I think _you_ have some explaining to do."

"God, Ultear. You're just as nosy as the Fairy Tail mages. You'd fit into their guild perfectly." Although she thought every word dripped with sarcasm, Jellal was dead serious.

"Try telling that to the paparazzi. And now you're going as far as taking her out on a date without coming clean about it."

"It's a _dinner,_ " he affirmed.

"It's a _date_."

He laughed before raising his arm in front of her. "I suggest you leave before I change my mind on keeping your alive."

Jellal smiled. Ultear was gone in the nick of time.

* * *

In a Magnolian boutique, Mirajane and Levy kept throwing hats in Erza's direction, forcing her to try each one on at a fast rate. Juvia grabbed the discarded hats and apologetically handed them over to the shop owner, who was having a wonderful time with the girls around.

Erza tried on sun hats and bucket hats for the most part, but none of them complimented any of the outfits she wore. The scarlet haired beauty pointed to a display with a new set of armour.

"Erza…that's not fit for a date," Juvia informed, sighing heavily as Erza remained seated in the changing room.

"Can I please just go out like this?" Erza pleaded.

"No!" Mirajane answered, shoving a floral dress in her direction. "Now try this on."

Erza shoved the curtain and pulled her blouse over her head before grabbing the dress and slipping it on her, aware that she was stark naked in a store. Not that she minded, if it were the girls.

She emerged from the change room confidently with the half-sleeves dress. It was a bright shade of yellow with printed lilies patterned on it. It fell to her knees She noticed the neck was deep around her chest and fought the urge to glare at Mirajane. She searched around for a cardigan, but her friend stopped her from proceeding any further.

"Perfect!" the She-Devil exclaimed.

Juvia's thoughts differed at the neckline especially. She knew Mirajane was especially doing it to attract attention to Erza's body. "Juvia thinks her outfit is a bit…improper for a dinner with a councilman."

Mirajane swung her arm around Juvia, whispering to her lowly. "Don't give the poor girl second thoughts. If I wanted to set her up with your brother, I would've forced her in something much more enticing."

Juvia shivered at her words. "What a cruel person, Mira."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," she replied with a friendly smile. Her complete one-eighty took the young girl by surprise.

"Mira, Juvia doesn't like Erza in such a way. He doesn't fancy Fairy Tail, especially the mages for that matter."

"Every man has his weakness."

"Siegrain is as boring as a person gets," she responded dully.

"I've heard some interesting things about him, so my opinion begs to differ."

The old hag running the store looked over Erza delightfully. "This dress truly compliments you, Titania."

Erza sheepishly blushed at the praise, as it was always something she never expected. "Why thank you, Miss."

"Tell you what, I'm going to give you a discount since you're a friend of Evergreen's."

Everyone gasped at the name. " _Evergreen?_ "

"Yes. The young lady is a regular at my store. She's even gave me so much business after bringing in the dark mages her team defeated."

Levy almost screamed at the mention of selling clothes to dark mages. "Ma'am, are you sure they didn't rob you?"

"No. A young fellow by the name of Laxus forced them to pay up, or else he promised to turn them over to the authorities. My, the Thunder Legion members are fine children."

The girls gasped. They didn't expect the shop owner to be grateful towards the Thunder Legion of all groups. They were the most disliked group in Fairy Tail.

Erza paid the price in full after much insistence, placing the bills on the counter and exiting with the rest of the group. She swept her hair to one side before pacing towards the guildhall.

"How do you feel?" Mirajane asked.

"Should I be feeling anything? You've set the standards really high from the start, Mira."

"You should expect no less from a councilman. Siegrain's a busy man. Make his time worthwhile."

She trailed off in her thoughts, wondering why his personality held a striking resemblance to Jellal. Sometimes, she always thought the things he said were purposeful for the sake of being reminded of her former childhood friend.

But it's not like he knew the kind of person Jellal was. They'd been apart for at least six years, which didn't add up.

Unless Siegrain was somehow communicating to Jellal. It was likely, since he knew of his brother's whereabouts.

Levy, noticing her unconscious habit, gripped Erza's hand tightly. "Aw, don't think too much about it. I think you look lovely."

Erza gave a small smile. "Thank you, Levy."

The guildhall was right around the corner where multiple mages crowded around Jellal. He didn't seem bothered by their presence, despite the intimidation from Natsu.

Natsu leaned against a pillar outside the guildhall. "Why do you want to see Erza?"

"She and I have an important meeting tonight."

"No way, man! She's able to attend a meeting with someone like _you,_ but can't take a few minutes out of her time to fight me? ERZA!"

Gray appeared in the front lines with the Fairy Tail mages. Laki and Evergreen were taking notes about his beauty from behind, while the males in the guildhall started gossiping about the Wizard Saint. "Listen, punk. If you want to take Erza out, you gotta be answerable to us."

Jellal's head tilted to show his superiority. "Under whose authority am I required to do that?"

"Us, ya bigshot!" Elfman retorted.

Erza threw a blade at his direction, causing the crowd to back away in fear of her wrath. "Natsu! What do you think you're doing?"

Makarov squeezed through the crowd before shutting up Natsu, Gray, and Elfman by punching them into the guildhall, nervously laughing. "My apologies, Wizard Saint. What brings you here?"

" _Wizard Saint!?_ " the crowds started moving closer and closer to him until Erza slipped beside Jellal, summoning multiple swords above their heads.

"Stay away from him or else you all shall face the wrath of my dancing blades."

Slowly, the crowds vanished back into their respective guilds. She didn't undo her spell until everyone but Makarov and the ladies of Fairy Tail remained.

Jellal laughed to himself, confusing the others. Mirajane took it as an indication of humiliation and sighed deeply, putting a hand to her forehead. "That was so unsexy."

"Juvia asks that you stop using that word!" the girl bit back with a blush.

Curiously, Jellal's eyes trailed to Erza's deep neckline. He almost wanted to question why she had chosen such an outfit for a common occasion. He had changed into a navy coat, but it wasn't anything he wore for momentous occasions.

Erza tilted her body awkwardly, almost bowing to him. "Greetings, Councilman Siegrain."

"Still not past the formalities, are we?"

She shook her head, trying to act as any civilian would if they saw him roaming around the streets. Jellal stepped back, to which she lifted herself.

"I didn't mean to, it's just…old habits die hard."

"I can tell. I commend your strength, it's not an easy feat to drive away crowds so large."

Mirajane couldn't believe her ears. This man liked seeing Erza assert dominance on the guild members. Perhaps that's why she was also one of the top female mages in Fiore.

"Juvia has yet to introduce her brother properly," Juvia announced, taking Jellal by the arm. "This is Siegrain, council member and Wizard Saint."

He almost glared at her. "What is the meaning of this, Juvia?"

"Oh nothing, _dear brother_. Juvia will speak on the behalf of the others since they're too speechless, but they've been dying to meet you."

Cana put a hand up in greeting. " _Hey gorgeous!_ "

Jellal raised an eyebrow. "Well, someone's certainly blunt."

"If you can't tell, she's drunk." Erza mumbled, to which he grinned. He enjoyed hearing what the mighty Titania thought about his every statement.

"It's unsurprising if it's the Fairy Tail guild. Honestly, the geezers of the Magic Council have no common sense. They've made the legal drinking age fifteen."

"Oh, Cana's been drinking since she was thirteen!" Juvia blurted out.

Erza cleared her throat. "Of course she hasn't! I think Juvia mispronounced _fifteen_."

"If I were gullible enough to believe that, I wouldn't be a council member today. It's not hard to tell if a person's lying. However, _reading minds_ is more convenient in such scenarios."

All the mages froze. Jellal took that as a sign to continue. "That being said, I'll let this one slide, seeing that it's all in the past."

"That's very kind of you," Makarov said.

"I think we have dinner to attend, right?" Erza asked hopefully, starting off in the direction opposite to them.

"Erza," Jellal called out amusingly. "It's the other way."

Mirajane almost groaned at her nervousness. It was obvious this man made her uncomfortable to a certain degree. They were surprised to find her apologizing for her overconfidence.

Juvia bit her lip as she watched them leave, before dragging Mirajane to a corner. "We have to follow them!"

"Calm down, Juvia. It's only a dinner."

"That's not what Juvia means! Juvia can't stand to see her brother taking _our_ Erza out. He's such a hopeless person, the tension will be awkward!"

"Don't you worry, Juvia. With my transformation magic, I'll be able to follow them inside and ensure everything goes well."

"Take Juvia with you!" she wailed, grabbing onto Mirajane's shoulders. " _Please!_ "

"I'm going too!" piped Levy and Cana.

The She-Devil sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"I never knew this restaurant was a walking distance," Erza voiced, looking at the luxurious style. The place was crowded with lines of people waiting for their reservations. Jellal passed through the crowd with Erza behind. People proceeded to take out cameras powered by lacrimas to take pictures of the Wizard Saint.

He looked tense as they did so, but never told them off. He simply said to the waitress, "I have a reservation under the name of Siegrain."

Erza found the waitress adorable when she clasped her hands together and wiggled uncontrollably. "I know you! You're that famous councilman! I can't believe you're actually here! Can I please get an autograph?" she held out a handkerchief and grabbed a marker off the desk.

Jellal took it and signed it before handing it back. He wasn't used to being outright asked about it. When the items were returned, the waitress kept squealing to herself and thanking him as she led them to the second floor.

"Is that your girlfriend? She's that beautiful wizard, Erza Scarlet! Right?"

He supposed Ultear was right about the scandals already circulating around Fiore. "No, just a good friend of mine."

"I see," she placed the menus down in front of them. "Let me know when you're ready to order."

When she left, Erza said, "She's a sweet girl."

"I didn't know you liked the attention," he assumed, curious about her intentions of accepting his dinner invitation.

"Not the attention, rather, her attitude towards everyone. Fairy Tail members draw enough attention as is, it's not a good thing in my case. But you have a commendable reputation..."

They both knew there were many things left unsaid. _Would Jellal be as loved by the people if he came along with me?_

Erza didn't realize she voiced her thoughts aloud until he responded to her question. "You have a habit of dwelling on what could've happened rather than what can happen."

"I know. I'm sorry..."

The Wizard Saint rested his face against his hand. "It's been years since you've last seen him, I'm still wondering why you keep associating him with the past Jellal."

Erza didn't look at him, afraid that she might see the boy she loved within him. "It's hard to believe he's a monster in the Tower of Heaven. I…still have hope that he'll be the same person if I ever see him again."

"Do I remind you of him?"

She felt guilty when he said those words. "I'm afraid you know the answer as well as I do."

He gave a small smile, "It seems I do. To be honest, I invited you here to clear things up about your past."

"…I'm not sure if I want to talk about it." Erza informed as her lips became a thin line. She seemed so insecure, like the girl he once knew.

Jellal was enjoying this.

"I understand that, but it wouldn't allow us to acquaint ourselves properly, since you're still stuck in your past."

Under the table, she clenched her fist. "I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it. He—Jellal was my best friend. He always gave me hope when I lost it. Nobody can explain to me how disheartened I was when he exiled me from the Tower of Heaven. I wanted to take him along, but he changed." She coughed, trying to regain her voice as it broke down. "I shouldn't be telling this to his brother, but…I really did love him."

Jellal certainly did not expect to hear that. He tried to contain his reaction, but it affected him as much.

Erza Scarlet had admitted to liking him.

"And your thoughts about him never changed?"

_You still like this monster, Erza? This man, who wouldn't give you a second thought as he sacrificed you to Lord Zeref?_

She would probably cry at his deception.

And that brought him the most satisfaction.

"I want to save him," Erza said, taking a shaky breath. "Many years ago, I abandoned both him and my friends because I was too weak to do anything. But now I can help them escape. They can be happy over here."

_You're still weak, Erza. Beneath that title of Titania, you're the same broken girl I knew._

"What makes you think they're not happy?"

The sudden question took her by surprise. Her jaw clenched at his words. "Of course they're not happy! Who would want to stay in the very place they saw people die? We suffered in the tower for so long, heard people scream, get tortured ourselves. Why would anyone like it there?"

Erza turned her head and found another Siegrain. Jellal followed her gaze with a small smirk. "It seems that we're being followed."

Erza requipped a sword and pointed it to the fake. "Who are you?"

She froze. What if it was Jellal wearing the same outfit? After all, they were twins, no?"

The person's appearance faded to reveal Mirajane. In disguise behind her were Levy, Cana, and Juvia. "Okay ladies, we're in the clear."

The mages tossed the oversized hats into Mirajane's hand before they grabbed chairs from the empty second floor and huddled around them.

"A smart method used to get in," praised Jellal. Mirajane smirked in response.

"I have my ways of getting what I want. To be frank, this was Juvia's idea."

"Does she not trust me?" he asked with suspicion. Reading her mind again, Jellal resisted the urge to chuckle. "I don't have any bad intentions towards Erza."

Levy looked away, "Quite contrary to what you assumed, I was worried Erza would slip up."

Erza puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing," she hummed. "Us Fairy Tail wizards are an unpredictable bunch."

Jellal looked over to analyze each Fairy Tail member. He recognized Mirajane and Levy from before, as well as Cana's absurd comment earlier that evening. "Indeed. I didn't think you'd go as far as spying on us."

Any other council member would've put a restraining order on them by now. Jellal found the situation to be rather entertaining. Levy leaned against Erza's shoulder. "I apologize in advance for crashing your date, Erza."

Erza bit the inside of her cheek, trying to find the right words to say to them. She would scold them had Jellal not been present. "I think you should be apologizing to Siegrain."

Jellal locked eyes with Juvia, "Judging by the uncalled circumstances, I assume this was Juvia's idea."

"Heh," the called-out mage prodded her fingers together. "Aren't I the best sister?"

Levy dropped her shoulders after tensing. "I still can't believe it took a year for Juvia to tell us about Siegrain. Perhaps it's because most of us don't have siblings, but still..."

Jellal crossed his arms with a stoic expression. "Juvia and I aren't related by blood."

Even Erza seemed surprised by the news. "So that means she doesn't know about..."

Jellal put a finger to his lips momentarily before setting it down. "Juvia and I met a year ago. You could say that I am an unofficial guardian of hers since her parents passed away at a young age. However, I thought my appearance as her sibling would be more believable."

Everyone except Jellal and Juvia seemed surprised at the sudden news. Ironically, they both looked like siblings, so it seemed liked they were blood-related.

"It's surprising, to think you'd take her in despite being famous," Erza said.

"Word hasn't gone out. My personal life is private for the most part apart from things I disclose to the public."

"What about your work at the Magic Council?" Asked Levy. "Is that also confidential?"

Jellal got comfortable and leaned back in his chair, predicting the long dinner it'd become. "Depends. For the most part, dealing with offenders of the law is a known job of a councillor. Occasionally, Chairman Crawford gives me some tasks to complete with are hidden from even the other councillors."

"That's so cool!" Levy beamed. Erza was glad her friends were having a good time. Unfortunately for her, she only had more questions for Jellal after discovering he wasn't Juvia's biological brother.

And they weren't questions Juvia could answer. Or so she thought.

Juvia leaned into Erza's ear, noticing her contempt. She whispered, "Is something wrong?"

Erza poked her nose, "Nothing at all. Why do you ask?"

"It's because you seem on edge ever since you've had a brief moment to talk with Siegrain."

Erza hesitated, "I just wanted to learn more about him. Thank you, though."

"You can ask me."

Erza noticed he was preoccupied with answering the questions of the other girls. Occasionally, he would give her a smile. She used his distraction as an opportunity.

"…how much do you know about Siegrain and I?"

At this, Juvia bit her lip. She made sure her brother's eyes weren't on her before continuing. "Well…he told Juvia about his twin brother, and your unpleasant past with him. He wasn't very detailed in explaining it and told Juvia not to say anything to you. He said something about the past affecting you. But please don't tell him!"

She took a moment to process the fact that someone in her guild knew about her past. She couldn't blame Jellal; Juvia was going to find out one way or another about her _other_ brother.

"I won't," assured Erza.

The waitress who had led Jellal and Erza to the room gasped when she saw four unwanted mages surrounding them.

She hurriedly ran to them and grabbed Cana by the arm. "Sir, I'm so sorry for letting these ladies in! Are they bothering you?"

Jellal half-considered sending them away since they joined the dinner without either his or Erza's consent, but found things would be more awkward between the two of them. He had half a mind of discussing what Juvia and Erza were talking about privately.

Reading thoughts had never been more convenient than now.

"No, they're all Fairy Tail mages. I invited them here."

"Real smooth," mused Levy.

The waitress still seem conflicted when her eyes landed on Mirajane. "I saw everyone _but_ her come along."

Mirajane raised her hand in a friendly greeting. "Come now, you don't recognize me? I was with Siegrain earlier. I'm a model for Sorcerer Weekly, Mirajane Strauss."

The girl gave her a hard look before squealing in delight. " _The_ Mirajane Strauss of Fairy Tail? I'm meeting so many famous people tonight!"

She turned away before facing them again, taking a deep breath. "Right. Sorry about that. Are you ready to order?"

Jellal looked at Erza for confirmation, she shook her head. "Give us another ten minutes."

"Of course!" the young lady skipped away to the first floor, making herself scarce from the group of mages.

Erza hissed at them. "Mira, you shouldn't have lied to her like that. You confused the poor girl."

"Oh come now, Erza. It's not a big deal."

Jellal gave a nod, "I've heard about Erza's dream for justice around Fiore. I can see firsthand that she lives up to her taxing goals." He said, referring to when she scolded Mirajane for lying to the waitress.

Erza studied him skeptically. "How is bringing justice a taxing job?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Well, a person of justice is no hypocrite. Even if they had to sacrifice their loved ones to bring such peace to the greater good of society, they would do so without hesitation. It's amazing that someone has such a righteous mindset."

Erza's heart pounded loudly at his words. Nobody else but him noticed it, and he likely said it on purpose, to see if she would take back what she said. Although she had a warrior's pride, her honour was just as upheld.

And what horrified her the most was that her friends shared the same thoughts on her. "Well said. Typical Erza for you," agreed Levy.

_So, Erza Scarlet. Are you going to kill Jellal to bring justice? It's simple, really. Drive your blade into his heart and claim victory. Become an even bigger hero, for killing your friend._

No doubt about it, she heard that voice in her head. He was using his telepathy on her.

The chair screeched as Erza stood, her hands quivering at her sides. "Excuse me, I need to get some fresh air."

Jellal watched her intensely as she left, every movement of her hips as if she were confident and knowing about her future.

But she wasn't. Jellal had made her feel insecure, leaving her shivering as she once did in the Tower of Heaven. When she was outside and away from the busy streets, she noticed the moon had risen, granting her prayer of peace.

That wasn't until she felt his presence from behind, a calculated expression gracing his features. "Is it too cold? Your hands are shaking."

"…why are you telling me to kill Jellal?"

He took her left hand with his, dragging it to her heart, where they both felt it beat faster with each passing second. "I'm not giving you ideas, Erza. I'm simply asking you a question. A defender of justice, a strong woman, and yet—you hesitate to bring down the very man that made you suffer."

"Perhaps I _am_ a hypocrite," she admitted quietly, hugging herself. She looked like she wanted to cry, and Jellal couldn't be any happier.

"It takes a lot of courage to admit such a thing. But if it bothers you, you can tell me of all your troubles. I'll help you."

Erza faced him, her eyes glued to the ground. "Jel- Siegrain…I wouldn't want you to take that responsibility."

"But I want to, Erza. Let me help you, and I'll make you overcome your past. We'll do it, _together_."

She took his hand in hers willingly, managing a smile that put the stars to shame. He absolutely loved her determination. "Thank you."

"Anything for you."

Juvia looked outside from the restaurant's window. It was hard to see them, but from the periphery of her vision, she could see her brother's figure growing closer to Erza's.

His face held a possessive gaze. And that's when she realized that not all was as it seemed.

_Trust me, and I'll grant us Heaven itself. Trust me, and I'll take you home._

_With me, it'll be_ us _. In the Tower of Heaven._


	5. Demoralization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia realizes there is something twisted between Erza and Jellal's relationship. After discovering her value to Jellal as a pawn, she sets a plan into motion that will distance the two mages.

When Jellal and Erza were walking back into the building, Juvia gave them a hard stare as she remained at her spot by the window with her arms crossed. Levy and Cana wondered aloud why Juvia was so paranoid about her brother spending time with Erza.

But Juvia knew that in some way, Jellal was taking advantage of Erza's respect for him. He hadn't done it in the past, neither with her nor people who flat out disrespected him. If anything, Juvia was amazed by his lack of hostility towards such people. He ignored them or gave them a friendly smile in response.

So why would he be so keen on having the upper hand when it came to Erza—someone who never harmed him in the first place? Sure, she attacked him at first glance, but they seemed to be on friendly terms after clearing up their misunderstandings.

Juvia knew there was nothing normal about their friendship. It was sparked from a grudge with many unanswered questions on Jellal's part.

It made her wonder why she didn't have those same thoughts about Gray. Perhaps Makarov was right when he said that love blinded people. Many people commented about her obsession with Gray, and she realized it had become a problem.

The mage suddenly felt foolish for slapping Erza. She had her reasons for attacking her brother, but it wouldn't do Jellal justice.

Not after everything he'd done for Juvia and Fairy Tail while on the Magic Council.

She could never imagine her brother as someone who would hurt anyone. He was extremely patient and more mature than the rowdy men in Fairy Tail. He never talked badly about anyone and seemed like a fortunate person, despite the lack of friends in his life.

Juvia wanted to change that by introducing him to the Fairy Tail members personally.

And truth be told, she wouldn't mind if he ever had a significant other. Jellal deserved it after years of working nonstop for a goal that consumed him. At least, her wish for him to be happy had been in the past.

She and Jellal had very different definitions of his goal. While she imagined as him becoming the strongest mage of Ishgar, Jellal was to obtain what man could never dream of. To reach heights within Zeref and granting freedom to those who never had it.

Freedom which was a farce. Freedom which he never had the luxury of enjoying.

The mere mention of it within this world made his heart stir with envy. He thought this life caged him and could never exact his dreams. Jellal searched for a reason that could explain why the Tower of Heaven made him suffer, along with his friends.

And why had Erza been content in a world like this?

That's exactly what went on in his mind as he searched for an answer within her, through unspoken words.

Erza noticed that he wasn't beside her anymore and was standing still. The throbbing pain in his head erupted through his veins.

She raised an eyebrow, "It's your head again, isn't it?"

He managed a weak grin. "How did you guess?"

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to take me out tonight. You need rest!" Erza placed a hand on his forehead and mumbled, "It feels warm, you definitely need to stop exerting yourself."

She changed course and took his wrist in her hand, dragging him away from the restaurant and concluding the only place to take him at this hour was her dormitory at Fairy Hills.

The very apartment she allowed no men inside. This task would only prove to be difficult.

As she maneuvered her way around the town without drawing attention to themselves, she asked, "Siegrain, do you use Invisibility Magic?"

He almost snorted, "I know I'm a Wizard Saint, but that's jumping the line. You'd need a potion for that." Erza gave a deep hum in thought. "Why do you ask?"

The Wizard Saint clutched his forehead with his free hand and sighed heavily, trying to alleviate the pain by any means. Erza stopped short in her tracks and supported Jellal with her hands, trying to get him to lean on her. He refused to do so, causing her to pucker her lips in annoyance. "Since your place is all the way in Era, it'd make sense for me to take you to my place."

He seemed surprised momentarily after recalling what Juvia had told him. "Didn't...Juvia say that no men were allowed?"

Erza visibly paled before her cheeks graced a light pink. "It's fine! I make the rules, therefore, tonight's an exception."

Jellal didn't even bother protesting since the pain made him dizzy. He didn't catch onto every word, but somewhere between the walk he collapsed on Erza and had a vivid dream he couldn't forget.

_"So..." the voice started, "you want true freedom? Away from this wretched place?"_

_It sounded like the voice of a girl, being overshadowed by a spirit so strong that it resembled a man's. Jellal gave a low grunt in response as the rope behind his back tightened until he felt blood seep through the ropes and dry around his wrist._

_"You are answerable to Lord Zeref, under any pain or circumstance."_

_Jellal grit his teeth and grit out a weak reply. "Away from the pain and suffering..."_

_To get Erza's eye fixed. To escape with all his friends. To have a future with Erza by his side and everything living happily._

_"My child..." the voice continued. "I shall grant you true freedom. Revere in Lord Zeref and pay the price to serve him. Serve_ me _."_

_Jellal felt dark magic energy from his surroundings enter his body, and he weakly thrashed against it to fight it off._

_"True freedom is within me. I shall possess you..."_

Jellal woke up up with a gasp, sweat beading his forehead as the mattress he lay upon dipped beside him. Erza's initial shock faded into a worrisome expression as she patted a wet cloth against his face. "Is everything alright?"

Her voice sounded like a melody and it soothed all his troubles. He spent moments looking up at her with confusion before turning away to clear his throat. "I'm fine, thank you."

He surveyed his surroundings and realized he was in her apartment. Erza changed into her pyjamas while his coat was deprived of him and folded neatly in a chair near the windowsill. The moonlight and a bedside lamp were the only things illuminating her room.

Jellal looked down and found himself in the tight sleeveless shirt beneath. He didn't have time to dwell over it when he felt his headache come back at full force.

"It's weird," Erza began, breaking the silence. She placed a hand on his forehead and he didn't flinch away. "You don't have a fever. Nor are there any abnormalities anywhere. Is this the condition Porlyusica talked to you about?"

He gave a nod in response, closing his eyes before reopening them again. The mage started wondering where Erza would sleep if he was on her bed. Unless she had more rooms, which was unlikely.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. On second thought, he wondered why he was apologizing to Erza of all people. But he would not brush off the favours she'd done for him. Nobody ever treated him in such a delicate way in all his years from being the leader of a child rebellion screaming bloody freedom to a cult leader.

For the first time in the night since they came to her place, she smiled. "You don't need to apologize, Siegrain. I know it's been rough and you're not comfortable sharing your—condition. I still want to help you, regardless."

"Is it because I remind you of Jellal?" he immediately asked, earning a frown from her.

"No! I promise that's not my intention-"

He laughed heartily, "You're going to have to try lying harder than that, Erza. Besides, I don't mind, really." The idea of her keeping him in her thoughts relieved him.

They heard loud banging on the front door of Erza's apartment, then heard bashing and screaming from outside. The first voice belonged to Cana. "I TOLD YOU SHE HAS A MAN IN THERE!"

Levy's muffled voice reached their ears regardless of the chaos from the other side. "If you don't come clean, Erza, we're going to tell Mira!" she sang.

Judging by Erza's sour expression, Mirajane had more dirt than this incident on her lifetime rival. Jellal placed a hand to his face. "Looks like this place isn't as soundproof as I thought it'd be."

"Tell me about it," concurred Erza embarrassingly. "Excuse me." She rose from her bed and padded towards the entrance with prideful strides. Jellal released a breath he didn't know he was holding before recalling the dream earlier.

A vision? He didn't know who the voice belonged to. But it was clear as day that he was in the Tower of Heaven. Jellal didn't recall that bit in his past and now reconsidered Porlyusica's proposition. Possession Magic was a possibility, and he spent time mentally listing candidates for those who could've been behind the magic.

Anyone could be the one casting the spell on him, except Erza. She wanted nothing to do with him after all this time. He considered telling her about the possibility of him being possessed, but that would reveal his true identity, something he couldn't risk.

He could hear Erza and Juvia reasoning with the others and suggesting that it was a recording of a television she played. The girls shot them skeptical looks but bought the excuse due to Juvia's insistence. She barred the door on them suddenly and watched as Erza returned to the bedroom, running her fingers through her hair. She mumbled incoherently about Cana's nosiness. Jellal read her thoughts easily with amusement.

"They're quick to make conclusions, aren't they?" he assumed, resting his head under an arm.

Erza blushed as she recalled the indecent things they suggested that were going on in the room. She hardly paid it any mind when they tried to tease her in her younger years, but now...

This was Jellal—or at least, someone who resembled him. Of course it was different.

"Do you need anything to eat?" Erza offered once she regained her thoughts. She remained standing and waited for his reply.

"I didn't even get a chance to treat you to dinner, so let me do the honour."

He got off the bed, but Erza pushed his chest, forcing him back down. "You're a guest here, let me make something."

Struggling against her weight, he finally fought her off and grabbed her wrists in one hand. "I think you should let me do it _quietly_ before I draw more attention."

Erza glared at him. She would always get her way, whether it be Natsu complaining or this man before her. "No, you will not do that!"

"Alright," he breathlessly conceded. Not wanting to further dig a bigger hole for himself, Jellal spoke, "I think I should get going. I'm going to visit that physician again. Porlyusica, wasn't it?"

The S-Class mage stared at him in bewilderment, "But you should stay the night! You're in no condition to use magic. I think it would be best if you got some rest."

"I've had enough, believe me." He affirmed pulling up the window of her apartment. Leaving through the door would prove to be a problem, especially with the sharp eyes of Mirajane and Cana.

And for goodness' sake, all of these girls were younger than him. Why was _he_ , famous councillor and Wizard Saint, trying to avoid them when he had all the authority Ishgar could offer?

Their silence filled the room as Erza watched him leave expectantly. Perhaps wanting him to say something before he departed.

Jellal's mind was brimming of ways to use their friendship to lure her into the Tower of Heaven. None of it really mattered at the moment. Erza could see his smile, and it had not been plastered like the previous times.

Him. And her. The Tower of Heaven was that simple of a concept in his mind.

"Thank you, Erza. Goodnight."

He became a flash of golden as he left, and Erza wondered what beauty Jellal's magic had to offer.

She didn't think she would have the luxury of finding out.

* * *

Juvia had not seen her brother since that dinner with Erza and wondered what he told the scarlet-haired mage that caused her to become softer to the others.

She didn't even want to get started on how he moved in to close the distance between him and Erza. Juvia would have shivered if Gray had done something so bold. Then again, she knew he was not gutsy enough to say anything to her.

She was only _fifteen_. Juvia thought it was ridiculous to imagine loving someone at such a young age. She suddenly felt inclined to keep her distance. Moreover—from Jellal and especially Erza.

Juvia studied her friends from a distance, experimenting with Cana's cards. Fortune-telling cards. It had been widely used by the mages in Fairy Tail. Many had wanted to see what their future romantic prospects were. Wakaba and Macao immediately regretted asking when they saw the faces of their wives.

Juvia huffed and wondered if all men left their significant others. And suddenly the idea of liking Gray had been a distant memory. Her brotherly figure had taught her that obsession consumed a person until they aimlessly worked towards something they could never achieve.

However, saying Jellal achieved his goals would be an understatement. He was an _overachiever_.

Mirajane approached behind her, tapping the Water Mage's shoulder. "Juvia, is something wrong?"

The woman in question jumped from her spot and observed the highly attentive behaviour towards any member. "Nothing at all, Mira. Why do you ask...?"

"You're not fawning over Gray, it isn't like you."

"Juvia thinks her obsession with Gray is anything but normal. He doesn't even like Juvia and is always gone on jobs alone. Siegrain told her once that obsession can become someone's demise."

Mirajane hummed, "He's not wrong. But if you're driven to reach the pinnacle of your existence, that is not a healthy mentality either. I suppose what I'm trying to say is—not everyone is your brother, Juvia. He has his own ideals, and we, our own. If he decides working in the Magic Council and doing what many cannot achieve is his pinnacle, then that reflects his lifetime. Nobody can dictate what is right and wrong, _even_ if they are a member of the Magic Council. He may condemn your actions, but you're only human."

"Juvia is surprised you speak of him in such a way. Just days ago, you were commending him for his hard work."

"Well, of course what he's done is nothing short of praiseworthy. However, have you ever asked Siegrain if he's content with his life? Devoted to the Magic Council, distancing himself from other people, uninterested in anything but his work; do all these things truly make him a happy man? He rarely smiles."

Juvia stared at her quizzically, not understanding what would make Siegrain happy. Perhaps spending time together, since the closest thing to what he would consider a friend would be the council members. "Well, there is the Cherry Blossom Festival coming up in Magnolia. Maybe if Juvia invited him, he could relax a bit."

But that would mean he would see Erza.

And she did not want that to happen.

"Mira...do you think Siegrain has any ulterior motives with his interest in Erza?"

"Ulterior? Outside of an interest to become friends?"

To the Water Mage's nod, Mirajane gave it a thought, and shook her head. "Honestly, both he and Erza are very hard to read. I think you're looking into their friendship too much."

"Then—would it be alright for him and Erza to meet each other at the festival? Erza's...changed since meeting him."

Mirajane gave her a knowing look, "Who knows, maybe she's in love."

Erza Scarlet, the Titania of Fairy Tail, _falling in love_? The idea rang an alarm in her head, one that demanded her to take action to prevent such an atrocity. _Siegrain is nothing remotely close to human! Imagine if he started dating our Erza!_

An idea came to mind, one which would require outsmarting two elite mages to ensure they would never want to see the other's face again. "Juvia hopes not, Mirajane."

The barmaid, confused at the statement, wanted to confront the younger girl about it.

Juvia was no longer in sight, long gone from the guildhall to catch the next train to Era.

* * *

Jellal's stare was already unsettling enough when he opened the front door to his penthouse. "What brings you here, Juvia? You've been visiting me quite frequently."

The mage sheepishly grinned, trying to remain innocent in acting so. "Heh, Juvia is sorry about that. May Juvia come in?"

He stepped aside, sighing. "Be my guest."

"You don't have to be so formal, it's only Juvia."

He eyed her warily, "You seem like you're up to something."

"What would make you think such a thing?"

"...you seem paranoid whenever I'm around Erza. Did she, perhaps, say anything regarding our past?"

"You're very observant," she commented.

Jellal crossed his arms, "Then it means there's something wrong."

Jellal had expected to find a conversation along the lines of it with Erza by reading her mind, but Juvia had said nothing to her after the dinner. "No, no! Erza never said anything. Juvia just..."

Sitting on the couch and on edge, Juvia fidgeted with her dress. Jellal would not budge, he would get the answer one way or another. And usually intimidation was the best method when it came to Juvia. Displaying a softer expression, he said, "You can tell me, it's much better than me going through your mind personally."

Juvia gave it a long and hard thought, to which he raised an eyebrow at her. Coming clean, she said, "Juvia saw you and Erza interact while alone, and she seemed...afraid. Are you holding something against her?"

At this, Jellal closed his eyes in deep thought. He wouldn't say his manipulation had gotten brutal, or that Erza had been bothered by it. He seemed almost hurt that Juvia had suggested such a thing, after humiliating Erza with a slap to the face in response to her initial attack. "Of course not, Juvia. Do you really not believe me?"

"You've never been interested in anyone else, Siegrain. Now that Juvia thinks about it, you've never really been cared about the guild, or Juvia. You've been using Juvia for information, haven't you?"

"No, I-"

"Don't lie!" she raised her voice at him, startling the both of them. All the efforts in helping her, and speaking to her as if they were good siblings instead of strangers had flew past his memory. Now, there was an enemy speaking to an enemy.

Erza had told Jellal in their younger years that he had never been a good liar from the start. He hadn't thought someone like him would be so vulnerable to _Juvia_ , someone meant to be his _pawn_.

"Yes, Juvia. Initially, I used you to gather intel on Erza. She and I were not on good terms, and I wanted to keep tabs on her. In the end, though, I really am your guardian. You mean a lot to me, Juvia."

"But you aren't your brother, Siegrain. You don't have to hold the same grudge as Jellal does."

Not having a grudge against Erza would mean she would serve no purpose to be his sacrifice for the Tower of Heaven. He had never hated Erza, but Jellal had been disappointed that she had not seen his ideal vision of Heaven. She never understood what it meant to be free.

"Given our past, I was not interested in becoming friends with her, and neither was she."

"You must have done something awful to her. Erza never attacks someone without reason."

Jellal had been used to it. Although the others in the Tower of Heaven empathized with him, the outside world gave a list of reasons to condemn him. "Juvia, you have every right to be angry with me, and I ask for your forgiveness. I had long since stopped using you as a pawn. Please, can we make amends?"

By the looks of it, she had not been ready to forgive him. It had been a year since she had played along with his schemes, being a puppet he manipulated to benefit himself. The thought angered her.

And she knew he would do the same thing to Erza. So, Juvia thought to put an end to it all; his relationship with Fairy Tail, Erza, and even herself. Never had she more angry with anyone else, because this was the person who took her in when nobody else would. This was her confidant, and so much beyond.

The person who had meant so much to him had hurt her in the end. He never accepted her, Juvia came to realize. He only welcomed her because she was useful to him.

The girl spoke sternly, "Come to Magnolia next Friday, we're holding the Cherry Blossom Festival. And if you're wondering, Erza will be there as well."

Juvia leisurely promenaded across his apartment, at the door and ready to leave. Jellal knew between their unspoken conversations, he had permanently damaged their relationship.

The Water Mage determinedly left, without uttering a goodbye. Only then did Jellal lean against the wall, slumping against it. His headache had worsened, and no painkiller could help it. He had been convinced that Porlyusica's hypothesis was correct.

"I must be growing soft," he whispered to himself. Never did Jellal think he would confess the truth to Juvia. Or that he would hold her dear, to fill the void of emptiness in his life. Looking back on his past, Jellal only worked towards one goal. It had not been becoming a councillor, nor having the title of a Wizard Saint, but to revive Zeref.

The headache never ceased for the next hour as he contemplated the past. It's as if something _prevented_ him from reminiscing.

Outside the door, the younger woman furrowed her eyebrows.

_This will be the last time Siegrain will see Erza. Juvia vows it._ _He will never hurt anyone again._

She did not think for a moment what it would do to either Jellal and Erza.

The decision would be their demise in the far future.

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place when Jellal's getting promoted to a council member. This isn't technically supposed to be romance, but I'll probably end up making it that because I'm a die-hard Jerza fan. Jellal's pretty manipulative (BUT, there's character development). Erza hates his guts at the beginning.


End file.
